The Transport Technology Forum is holding a webinar on Wednesday 26 May from 3-5pm to present an update on the Small Business Research Initiative Congestion Challenge, which examines how data can be used to better understand and respond to road congestion.
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The Challenge was set in 2018 thanks to funding provided by the GovTech Catalyst to support the challenge from Department for Transport (DfT) and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. INRIX, Vivacity Labs, Immense Solutions and 40two were selected to deliver research into how local authorities could get more access to reliable, real time information about vehicle traffic, cyclists and pedestrians. In this webinar they will all give updates and then take part in a Q and A to explain what they have learned, and how data is being used to better understand and respond to traffic congestion by providing data that is less resource intensive and higher quality.
Specifically, the three projects are:
PATH – a DfT funded project that has developed a platform that uses individual GPS traces from INRIX data to measure delays on road networks, corridors and individual signals. Supported by 12 Local Authorities, PATH focuses on junction performance and optimisation, helping prioritise traffic signal maintenance and upgrades, as well as understanding the “the shape of traffic” post COVID.
Data Analytics and Simulation for Traffic Operations – 40two, Immense and Oxfordshire County Council are creating a real-time data driven tool capable of forecasting traffic impacts as a result of changing conditions on the network, and therefore to aid in active congestion management. The tool has been developed through close engagement with a range of local authorities, and is designed to be used by multiple, diverse stakeholders, and without the need for expertise in traffic modelling. The consortium consists of programme lead 40two,who bring expertise around service design and public sector commercialisation, technology provider Immense, providing their innovative simulation platform for mobility systems, and local authority partner Oxfordshire County Council, whose iHub team specialises in applying innovation in data and technology to real-world problems.
The PROACT (Predictive & Real-time Operational Alerts for Congestion Transformation) system will monitor the traffic network on behalf of the control room operator, acting as a watchdog to flag incidents and provide next-generation real-time forecasts to enable decisive and proactive decision-making. This capability will be delivered by a partnership between lead partner Vivacity Labs, FlowX, Siemens and Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (BCP) Council. Alerts from Vivacity’s video analytics software will be ingested into Siemens’ UTC system. Machine learning will be used on the merged data feeds to detect incidents and enable network monitors to implement strategies such as changing traffic staging orders and VMS signs, to help alleviate congestion.
