Traffic in the city of Port Philip, Victoria, Australia, is witnessing increasing congestion, accompanied by a rise in greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and a decline in safety rates. This prompted her local government to launch a project that seeks to study the patterns of “active mobility” among residents in the city with the aim of improving the services necessary to promote environmentally friendly transportation.
New mobility trends have recently emerged among many residents of major cities, such as what is known as active mobility, It is the use of means of transportation that depend on physical effort such as bicycles, scooters and others. It is worth noting that transport networks are one of the most service aspects that require tremendous effort from governments to monitor, control and develop policies to develop them. But any government efforts targeting the transport network, such as allocating routes, setting up traffic signals and enacting laws, should be based on accurate information, data and statistics. This usually requires thousands of workers to take notes, study and analyze them. In this sense, Governments need to leverage technology and automation and their applications to scale up transportation technologies and provide convenient options for residents and visitors.
On this basis, Port Philip, Australia, has been studying the possibility of using modern technology to understand the mobility trends of its residents. The city is witnessing high congestion rates and is facing an expected increase in population growth of 23% by 2027. This prompted the municipality of Port Phillip to develop smart solutions to facilitate the development of transport systems. and strengthening its infrastructure, Designing a system capable of adapting to changing situations, Ensure less congested, more connected, safer and more sustainable traffic.
As part of the draft integrated transport strategy currently under way, Port Phillip Municipal Council invests in the collection of traffic data in collaboration with Vivacity Labs, Based in the United Kingdom, As well as the “Bicycle Users Network”, It is an Australian non-profit organization, It has nearly 50,000 members, making it the largest concentration of cyclists in the country. It aims to increase the number of cyclists and promote safe physical activity and sustainability to establish a healthy habit, Such as cycling for people of different age and social groups; this project is launched with the aim of changing the transport situation through live and direct monitoring of the movement of cycling and walking on vital roads and intersections in the city.
This year, the first phase of the project will be launched. During which traffic sensors based on artificial intelligence will be installed to track, monitor and measure the movement of bicycles, pedestrians and cars; these sensors will be distributed to monitor various locations, including pedestrian and bicycle paths and public roads. It will capture data on various forms of transport.
Vivacity Labs has been keen to design the sensor network software based on a system that ensures that data sources remain completely anonymous. This avoids any challenges that may be related to privacy or personal data of passers-by. As the company is preparing with the municipal council to implement the first phase of the project, During which the experience will be evaluated based on the challenges it may face and ways to deal with them, It will also allow for measuring investment success as well as monitoring mobility in often congested locations to better manage them.
Through the use of artificial intelligence technology and “machine learning” algorithms, The sensors will capture real-time data and display it to stakeholders in real time, thus equaling the effort that more than a thousand employees need to put into taking notes of traffic along city roads. Besides, The project will be useful in promoting active mobility in the local area, especially using bicycles and e-scooters. This is what Australia’s Bicycle Users Network aims to achieve in the first place.
By collecting anonymous data on active mobility in the city, Port Phillip City Council will create a huge database that allows for a comprehensive understanding of the interaction between, for example, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. In addition, The project will provide a detailed and accurate view of multiple aspects of traffic, such as the number of pedestrians, the roads they take and the speed of their movement, Instead of dealing with other means of transportation such as e-scooters. All these benefits will help enable the city municipality to better plan future changes in infrastructure, such as the construction of separate roads and the dimensioning of pedestrian walkways. which will promote active mobility and traffic regulation which will reduce congestion and emissions and improve air quality, In fact, reducing pollution levels serves the longer-term goal, It is to maintain sustainable streets not only in the city of “Port Philip”, And even throughout Australia.
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