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Reducing Traffic Congestion in Medellin with Korea’s ITS Technology
Real-time traffic information collection and provision facilities and an integrated traffic center to be established
□ The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport(MOLIT, Minister Kim Hyun-mee) announced that it will embark on an ITS(Intelligent Transport System) project in Medellin, the second-largest city of Colombia, to raise the quality of the citizens’ lives by improving traffic conditions of the urban center.
ㅇ From this year to 2020, the “Project on Intelligent Transport System(ITS) in Medellin, Colombia” will be conducted for 2 years with the support from MOLIT which plans to invest a total of 13 billion KRW in grant.
ㅇ MOLIT already completed the establishment of a master plan on ITS in Medellin and the basic design of the Project, and will move on to support the construction of infrastructure, in order to provide opportunities for Korean companies to venture into overseas markets.
< Solving Traffic Congestion Problem by Introducing Korea’s ITS Services >
□ This Project covers 2 sections of a key urban arterial road axis and connecting roads, and aims to reduce chronic traffic congestion by providing real-time road information by installing vehicle detectors and electronic road signs produced with Korean technology.
ㅇ Also, an integrated traffic information center will be established to gather traffic-related data such as signals, security and bus information, from 6 agencies that have been operating and managing them respectively, so that it could maximize efficiency by centralizing the management of traffic information including real-time communications and incidents in urban centers.
* Integrated Traffic Center : Establish a situation room, develop traffic information collection, processing and analysis system, integrate traffic centers
* ** On-site facilities : Volumn Detector system(159 units), Variable Message signs(15 units)
*** Public services : Official website, Smartphone application
ㅇ In addition, training and technology transfer programs would be conducted for local employees and experts on the content of this Project to enable Medellin to independently operate and manage the services after the termination of the Project.
* Training program for Medellin officials : ‘19.8.26-30, Seoul / Deputy Head of the transport bureau, engineers, etc.
< Expected to Bring the Most Advanced Urban Transportation in South America to 2.5 Million Medellin Citizens >
□ The Municipality of Medellin, which suffers from severe congestion in urban centers due to a steeply increasing number of vehicles, expects that this Project, when completed, would contribute to solving traffic related problems such as congestions and accidents by providing the city’s 2.5 million inhabitants with advanced traffic information services.
ㅇ Ultimately, it is expected to become a exemplary case of improving a transport system with advanced technology, providing a stepping stone in Medellin’s journey to be the number one model city with the most advanced transportation in South America.
ㅇ Mayor FEDERICO GUTIERREZ ZULUAGA of Medellin, Colombia said “Our two countries have had a sense of community and a cooperative relationship for a long time, and it is my great pleasure to start this Project on improving the transport system of Medellin with the support from the Ministry and Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korea.”
- He added, “I am certain that this Project will be an opportunity for Medellin to make a leap forward and set an example as a green, innovative, and people-centered city.”
< Supporting Establishment of ITS Implementation Plan in Colombia >
□ Apart from this Project, MOLIT is currently supporting a project on establishing an ITS master plan for the entire country of Colombia to create a long-term national blueprint aiming to reduce the chronic traffic congestion ailing the country.
ㅇ For instance, in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia, the average commuting time is 150 minutes, and in major cities in Colombia, the average speed on road is 22∼27 km/h.
* LA(US) 47km/h, Tokyo(Japan) 26km/h, Medellin(Colombia) 22.6km/h, Bogota(Colombia) 23.7km/h
ㅇ With the goal of improving such poor traffic conditions in Colombia, it is planned to create a national basic plan of ITS, improve the national ITS architecture, identify strategic services, and establish measures to secure funds by March next year.
* Period : ’19.6～’20.3 / Cost : 756million KRW / Implementing entity : Korea Expressway Corporation (Consortium)
< Establishing a foothold to enter the Latin American ITS market with the ITS project in Colombia >
□ Director Sung-seup Kang of ITS and Road Safety Division of MOLIT said, “Neighboring countries of Colombia such as Peru, Ecuador, and Paraguay are also very much interested in introducing traffic management systems. It is expected that the ITS project in Colombia will serve as a good example of sharing Korea’s technology with Latin American countries.”
ㅇ He added, “Korea’s ITS technologies that will be applied in Medellin could be easily applied to other neighboring regions as well, considering compatibility and connectivity. So we expect that the Project in Medellin would become an exemplary case for Korean companies venturing into the Latin American market.”
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