The SCOOT urban traffic control system is now operational, or on order, in over 30 cities in the UK and overseas. SCOOT is a fully adaptive system which collects data from vehicle detectors and then calculates and implements the signal settings which minimise delay. The SCOOT computer program contains a traffic model, of each section of road in the network, which estimates the current size of the queue and the number of vehicles that have to stop at the signal. In addition SCOOT knows the flows along each road, the current signal timings, how much spare capacity exists at each signal and whether any detectors are occupied by vehicles. Since the detectors are located at the upstream end of roads leading to signals, the occupation of detectors is indicative of roads' becoming full of traffic and is a good measure of congestion in the network. Whilst the primary purpose of this information is to achieve good signal control, the information may also be valuable for other purposes. The paper describes the data available and looks at some of the uses to which the data may be put.
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