An updated edition of ParkMap, Buchanan Computing’s traffic order management solution, has been released, including, for the first time, a service that is able to share live highway data, both to and from other systems.

The company says the new service will help to break down silos that can impede good design and enable a more co-ordinated scheduling of traffic orders.  

The new data connectivity is enabled by the use of an open API which makes the whole process of creating traffic orders easier and more intuitive, allowing an officer to call in related current datasets as and when required, without having to embark on lengthy data quests, often resulting in the creation of needless copies of data which quickly go out of date.  The idea is to make it quicker and easier to add temporary traffic orders, road collision data, and other street assets such as lamp columns, easing up the process of making and deploying effective traffic orders.

Alex Smith, Managing Director of Buchanan Computing said: “ParkMap is currently used by over 90 Local Authorities across the UK for the management of their traffic regulation orders, including Westminster, Cardiff, Glasgow, Kent, Essex, Lancashire, and South Lanarkshire.

“The latest version of ParkMap is genuinely innovative, allowing for the first time, an operational open API service, for both providing and consuming parking data, wider traffic orders and highway data sets.  No other platform has this capability currently, meaning that ParkMap is not only pushing data out to traffic enforcement teams, it is consuming data to improve the design of traffic orders.  

“For the first time, all the information needed to create traffic orders is accessed in one place without the need to replicate anything.  This method of delivery represents a sea change in the way services are delivered and removes unnecessary data replication. By sharing publicly owned data via ParkMap’s Data Services API, we are able to empower other organisations to develop their own innovations and solutions needed for the successful delivery of smart cities programmes.”   

The company adds that other potential benefits of ParkMap’s Data Services APIs include:

• Better traffic management solutions for road users. 
• Cost-effective access to traffic order data for various traffic enforcement organisations via the National Parking Platform.
• Capability to improve local authorities kerb management collaboration by enabling cross-boundary data sharing.
• Helping to achieve net zero, by removing unnecessary data replication and storage, held within energy hungry data centres. 
• Facilitating public engagement for capital and local projects by allowing broader use of the data.
• Improving communication with local authorities’ contractors i.e. sign manufacturers, lining contractors etc to ensure high level of on street assets maintenance.
• Ability to enable driverless cars to navigate the UK’s complex road restrictions.  
• Helping with emissions reduction planning, including EV charging schemes. 
• Links to Underground Assets maintenance providing access to relevant information for more accurate planning and repair costs.
• Potentially creating additional revenue streams.
• Assisting with planning freight logistics in cities

(Picture – Buchanan Computing)