Vaud A9 and mobile ANPR radars next, for spring

Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Basel on Thursday 13 January becomes home to Switzerland’s first tunnel speed radar system that calculates the average time over a distance rather than taking a snapshot of a car’s speed at one point. The new ANPR (automatic number plate recognitino) average speed system, or CTV as it’s called in French for contrôle de vitesse par tronçon, will become operational on the A2 autoroute in the Arisdorf tunnel. The sophisticated radar system identifies different vehicle types and calculates the average speed over a section to see if the bus or truck or car is respecting the speed for that kind of vehicle. Speed limits are adjusted automatically to reflect traffic conditions and a dynamic signage system will will work in tandem with the speed radar.

Arisdorf, near Basel, Switzerland: new average speed radars in 2011

Italy, Austria and The Netherlands use average pseed systems and report that the number of deaths due to speeding has been nearly halved. The UK uses similar systems, notably in Scotland.

The Swiss system has undergone several months of testing. The results of the first months in full operation will be analyzed in August 2011, along with results from an automatic speed radar to be installed on the A9 in Vaud in sprng  and one mobile radar that will go into use at the same time. The highway department says it will inform motorists when and where the radars are being put in place.

New York fire escapes, lower Manhattan

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Engineering methods are used to evaluate how people behave and move when fire strikes buildings, and the International Standards Organization in Geneva has just approved a new standard for this technical information. It provides information on the life-safety aspects of fire-safety engineering design, to improve how buildings but also tunnels, underground complexes, ships and vehicles are designed, to make them safer, escape easier, and to reduce exposure to flames and heat.

Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The summer travel season begins in earnest 30 June and the Swiss federal government has issued its list of roads and dates when travelers can expect heavy traffic.

Les axes routiers et les jours présentant un fort risque de perturbations sont les suivants :

Autoroutes

Heading south

• A1 St Margrethen – Geneva, between Zurich and Bern, between Lausanne and Morges (roadworks), customs at Geneva/Bardonnex
• A2/E35 Basel – Chiasso – Milan: Bâle/Weil am Rhein customs, between the Belchen tunnel and the Wiggertal junction, between Erstfeld before the north end of the Saint Gotthard (see Gotthard below), the Chiasso/Brogeda customs, to the Como/Grandate toll booth
• A3 Basel – Zurich: between Basel/Saint-Louis customs and the Wiese junction
• A13 Sargans – Bellinzona: between entre Nufenen and Hinterrhein (roadworks), to the north entrance of the San Bernardino tunnel
• Ring roads around Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A1/A3)

Times when you can expect traffic jams

Fridays between 15:00 and 21:00 and Saturday from 08:00 to 16:00

Dates with particularly heavy traffic

July: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25

August: 1

Heading north

• A1 Geneva – St. Margrethen: Geneva/Bardonnex customs, betwee entre Morges and Lausanne (roadworks), between Bern and  Zurich
• A2/E35 Milan – Chiasso – Basel: from the Como/Grandate toll booth to  the Chiasso/Brogeda customs, between Quinto and the south entrance to the Saint-Gothard tunnel, between Reiden and the Härkingen junction, to customs at Basel/Weil am Rhein
• A3 Sargans – Zurich – Basel: between Zurich/Brunau and the end of the autoroute, Basel/Saint-Louis customs
• A4a Zoug – Sihlbrugg: between Baar and the end of the autoroute at Sihlbrugg
• A9 Martigny – Lausanne: between Bex and the Glion tunnel
• A13 Bellinzone – Coire: at the southern entrance to the San Bernardino tunnel, between Hinterrhein and Nufenen (roadworks)
• Ring roads around Bern (A1/A6), Lausanne (A1/A9) and Zurich (A1/A3)

Times when you can expect traffic jams

Fridays 15:00-21:00, Saturdays 10:00-20:00 and Sundays from 13:00 to 20:00

Dates with particularly heavy traffic

July: 11, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 and 31

August: 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29

September: 5

Saint Gotthard tunnel

Heading south

Tailbacks are likely at the north end of the tunnel on these dates: Friday 3 July from 12:00-24:00, Saturday 4 July 05:00-18:00. The nights of 10-11 and 17-18 and 24-25 July, non-stop from Friday 12:00 to Saturday 18:00. Traffic jams are also possible Saturdays from 08:00-16:00 during August and up to mid-eptember, as well as Sundays in July from 10:00-16:00.

The entrances to the Göschenen, Monday to Thursday during July, noon to 20:00 are also likely to have traffic jams.

Heading north

Traffic jams can be expected at the south entrance to the tunnel these days: Fridays, 10-31 July from 12:00-22:00, 7-14 August from 10:00-23:00, 21 August to 4 September from 13:00-20:00, Saturdays 11-25 July from 10:00-22:00, 1 August and 8 August from 09:00-01:00, 15 August to 5 September, 10:00-21:00, Sundays, 19 July to 6 September, 11:00-21:00.

Traffic jams could occur Saturday 4 July, 10:00-18:00. From mid-July to the end of August, traffic jams can also be expected occasionally afternoons Monday to Thursday, noon to 20:00.

Main roads inside Switzerland and customs stations

Heavier traffic can be expected on the following roads within Switzerland: Spiez-Kandersteg (start of holidays), Gampel-Goppenstein (end of holidays), Bellinzona-Locarno, Wädenswil-Hirzel-Sihlbrugg, Sihlbrugg-Zurich (Sihltal), Flüelen-Brunnen (Axenstrasse), as well as on some Alpine region roads, including main Alpines passes. Expect some delays at these customs stations: Au, Koblenz, Sankt-Margrethen and Thayngen.

For traffic updates

• Telephone in French, German and Italian: Viasuisse (No 163 – 50 cts/call+50 cts/min)
• Radio DRS/RSR/RSI
• web sites: www.tcs.ch, www.cff.ch, www.teletext.ch (rail: p 486/487, road: p 491 – 497), www.bls.ch.

Swiss skies are filled with jet streams, mostly heading south

Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The traditional Easter weekend north-south highway traffic jams have started, but initial reports are that they are less onerous than some years, with a mere 3km backup at the St Gotthard tunnel, heading south, late Thursday afternoon, 9 April. Trains and planes nevertheless are preparing for heavy crowds.

TCS, the Swiss automobile club, offers up-to-the-minute traffic advisories. The CFF rail company strongly recommends reservations for any international travel. In Switzerland the company is adding 70,000 seats and 31 trains in the direction of Valais, Ticino and Graubuenden, reports TSR (Fre).

Geneva International Airport warns travellers to allow extra time for flights this weekend and to remember that parking lots could be short on space – best is to take public transport, the airport recommends, or use long-term parking lots. Ed. note: see the GenevaLunch Cheerful traveler’s guide: traveling to and from Geneva.