This article is an excerpt taken from Christian Chong-White's presentation for the ITS Australia Summit 2025, titled "Movement Control Will Reshape Adaptive Signal Systems in Australia."
Cities today demand more than just efficient traffic flow; they require streets that function as places for people, supporting safety, accessibility, and vibrant community life. Yet, most traffic signal systems remain locked in phase-based control, a rigid approach that groups multiple movements to run green together for the same interval. This outdated model struggles to respond to dynamic traffic patterns, multimodal needs, and the expectations of modern urban design.
Rail transport faced an analogous challenge decades ago. Traditional fixed block signalling constrained capacity and flexibility, limiting the ability to adapt to real-time conditions. The solution was transformative: Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) and the European Train Control System (ETCS) introduced moving block principles, continuous communication, and granular control. These innovations delivered 30–40% capacity gains, improved safety, and enabled automation—proving that abandoning rigid groupings for demand-responsive control unlocks efficiency and resilience.
Movement Control (also known as Movement-Based Control, Signal group control, Group control) applies this proven logic to road networks. Instead of serving entire phases regardless of demand, it treats each movement as an independent control unit, dynamically allocating green time based on real-time conditions. This fine-grained approach reduces wasted green time, prioritises buses and pedestrians, and scales seamlessly with connected vehicle technologies.
Crucially, Movement Control aligns with the Movement and Place framework, which guides transport planning toward streets that balance mobility with liveability. By adapting signal services to the context of place-oriented sites—such as town centres and high streets—it meets community expectations for safer, more walkable environments while maintaining efficient movement.
The case is clear: just as rail signalling evolved from fixed blocks to dynamic control, traffic signals must evolve from phase-based logic to Movement Control. Doing so will deliver measurable benefits in efficiency, safety, sustainability, and urban quality—positioning cities for a future where transport systems serve both movement and place.
Nukon has been helping clients adopt advanced adaptive traffic signal control, including Movement Control, through strategic guidance, trial design, and performance analysis. Custom software solutions have been developed to support detailed analysis, introducing new static techniques to estimate efficiency gains from upgrading Phase Control systems.
Analysis has shown potential improvements of up to 47% at key intersections [1] —insights that are proving critical in guiding field trials and broader deployments. The static analysis results proved comparable to published results from a field trial in Japan that compared Phase Control to Movement Control.
The Japanese study revealed a road capacity increase of 39% and 24%, and a control delay decrease of -65% and 38% for key movements+, with the change to Movement Control. [2]
Adopting Movement Control delivers proven efficiency gains of up to 47%, while enhancing safety and sustainability—making it the logical next step for future-ready urban networks.
Figure 2. Example intersection site diagram (top) and configured phasing diagram (bottom)
Figure notes:
In contrast, Movement Control controls movements independently in contrast to the concept of a fixed phase. This flexibility and optimisation provided is analogous to the ‘moving block’ of Figure 1.
For deeper insights from this presentation, be sure to attend Christian's talk at the ITS Australia Summit 2025 and explore more about traffic signalling optimisation.