In the ever-evolving landscape of street works and infrastructure management, innovation is not just a buzzword—it is a necessity. At Symology, we are proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, providing cutting-edge solutions that streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and ultimately reduce disruption to traffic flow.
As suppliers of the National Street Works system to the devolved nations of Scotland and Northern Ireland, we have gained invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the industry.
In England, our flagship product, Aurora, has been widely adopted, complementing and adding value to the Department for Transport’s Street Manager.
Looking ahead, we are also excited about Aurora’s future in Wales, ensuring consistency and benefits for all stakeholders through Aurora’s innovative capabilities, whether that be local or national.
Aurora: A Game-Changer in Street Works Management
Aurora is at the heart of everything we do. It is designed to tackle the most pressing asset management and street works challenges head-on. One of the most significant challenges today is lane rental—a scheme designed to reduce congestion by incentivising efficient scheduling and minimising the time roads are occupied. When done correctly, a high percentage of works can either be granted waivers or structured in a way that avoids lane rental charges altogether.
To navigate this complex landscape, street works systems must provide a holistic view of available options. Simply having a basic street works system is not enough. What is needed is a solution like Aurora, which empowers you with awareness, smart scheduling, and seamless collaboration.
- Awareness: Understanding Lane Rental Zones and Costs
The first step in minimising disruption is awareness. You need to clearly understand where lane rental applies and how you can mitigate costs. Aurora visualises lane rental zones using an intuitive colour-coded system—red, orange, and green—indicating different levels of lane rental charges.
For those needing deeper insights, Aurora allows you to zoom in for detailed information on scheduling, designated times, and maximum lane rental charges. This level of transparency ensures that planners can make informed decisions, avoiding unnecessary costs and improving overall efficiency. By storing and applying specific lane rental rules for each scheme, Aurora helps you proactively plan your projects, ensuring compliance while minimising financial impact.
- Smart Scheduling: Reducing Lane Rental Impact
The ability to intelligently schedule works is critical in minimising disruption and maximising efficiency. Aurora assists you by analysing lane rental bands, rates, and available time slots. By leveraging this data, planners can strategically schedule works outside of high-impact periods, reducing or even eliminating lane rental fees.
A prime example of this is Aurora’s planned timeline feature, where you can visualise different scheduling options. By adjusting planned work dates and assessing potential conflicts, you can choose the most cost-effective and least disruptive schedules.
- Collaboration: Unlocking Opportunities for Efficiency
Collaboration is at the heart of effective street works management. Aurora provides a suite of collaboration tools designed to connect works promoters and highway authorities, enabling seamless communication and coordination.
With Aurora’s planned intelligent recommendation system, you can identify potential collaboration opportunities across multiple street works projects. By analysing factors such as spatial proximity, work dates, and traffic management requirements, Aurora highlights viable opportunities for joint working.
For example, if multiple projects overlap within the same area, Aurora presents these opportunities on a map, allowing you to explore options for combining works. This not only reduces lane rental costs but also minimises disruptions for the public. Importantly, these tools are also available to highway authorities, enabling them to proactively identify and suggest collaboration opportunities to works promoters.
Beyond Lane Rental: A Holistic Approach to Street Works
Minimising disruption extends beyond lane rental schemes. A truly effective street works management system should also consider:
- Underground apparatus locations to prevent conflicts and ensure safety
- Cycle paths and bus routes to mitigate disruptions to public transport
- High-quality aerial photography for better spatial awareness
- Diversion route planning through D-TRO data
- Live traffic data integration to dynamically adjust planning and execution
By incorporating these elements, Aurora ensures that all stakeholders—from works promoters to local authorities—have the tools they need to manage street works efficiently and effectively.
Shaping the Future of Street Works
At Symology, we are committed to driving innovation in street works management. By leveraging advanced technology, enhancing collaboration, and providing data-driven insights, Aurora empowers organisations to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and minimise disruptions for road users and local communities.
We invite you to explore Aurora’s capabilities and see firsthand how it can transform your approach to street works.
Let’s build the future of street works together.
