Australia
The"most intelligent" control system is being put into operation in the city of Melbourne
Traffic Technology Today, 24.03.2022
A 2.5 km stretch of urban road on Nicholson Street in Melbourne, Australia, was equipped with sensors with cloud artificial intelligence functions, machine learning algorithms, predictive models and real-time data collection to improve traffic management, which earned it the title of the "smartest corridor" in the world.
The project was implemented in the framework of cooperation between the University of Melbourne, the Austrian technology company Kapsch TrafficCom and the Ministry of Transport of Victoria.
Professor Majid Sarvi, director of AIMS and professor of transport engineering at the University of Melbourne, said that the Smart Corridor will become a model for cities around the world to reduce the costs associated with traffic congestion. According to the 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit Report, urban traffic congestion costs the Australian economy AUD$16.5 billion each year.
The intelligent corridor will use the EcoTrafiX platform for corridor management from the technology company Kapsch TrafficCom.
TrafficCom's Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Matthew McLeish, said: "From connected vehicles to autonomous driving and integrated mobility management, this technology lays the foundation for a sustainable future without congestion, using the best demand management technologies for multimodal services like the Kapsch EcoTrafix platform."
United Kingdom
Sensors with artificial intelligence monitor bicycle traffic
Traffic Technology Today, 21.03.2022
Artificial intelligence sensors from Vivacity Labs will be installed on the streets of Abergavenny to collect multimodal data on the number, distance traveled and speed of cyclists as part of the Welsh government's investment of 75 million pounds in active traffic.
New oncoming bike lanes have been allocated in an attempt to overcome the barrier for cycling trips that exists due to the one-way traffic system in the city. Cyclists can now drive straight through the city, which makes cycling routes safer and more efficient than car routes.
The goal is to encourage the abandonment of personal cars, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in the city. Vivacity Labs sensors are being installed to assess the effectiveness of the measures taken.
Sensors using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to collect anonymous 24/7 data on modes of transport, traffic flow and movement patterns will be installed throughout the city to track whether cycling has become more popular.
The data will also record whether the speed of the vehicle has decreased as a result of the narrowing of the road space to accommodate the bike path.
"We know that cycling is a sustainable mode of transport. However, without the right infrastructure, it's not always a safe or practical option," says Mark Nicholson, CEO and co–founder of Vivacity Labs. "Our accurate anonymous information will help the local council monitor the success of this scheme and make informed decisions about future infrastructure. "
According to a new study, the amount of unfinished work on the repair of local roads in the UK exceeds 12 billion pounds
Traffic Technology Today, 24.03.2022
The volume of unfinished work on the repair of the carriageway of local roads in England and Wales has reached 12.64 billion pounds, which is compounded by an increase in costs caused by rising inflation, according to the annual survey of municipal road authorities (ALARM) in 2022.
The ALARM survey conducted by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) highlights the scale of the worsening problem faced by road organizations.
Despite the increase in the average budget for the maintenance of roads (by 4% compared to 2020/21), the volume of work in progress on their repair increased by almost a quarter (23%) compared to last year's figure to 12.64 billion pounds – or 61,700 pounds for every mile (1.6 km) of local road in England and Wales.
Rick Green, chairman of the AIA, says: "Municipal road services have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of our roads, but they do not have the means to do it cost-effectively and quickly. As a result, although they report a slight improvement in surface condition, the structure of our roads continues to deteriorate. Although pavement repairs play a role in extending the service life of local roads, short-term repairs, including pothole repairs, indicate that the network is "on the edge" and less efficient and sustainable when it comes to the use of materials and the amount of emissions throughout the life cycle. "
The 27th ALARM survey is being conducted this year, which received a record number of responses from 73% of local road authorities in England and Wales. It reports on the financing and condition of local roads based on information provided directly by those responsible for their maintenance.
The findings of ALARM 2022 relating to the 2021/22 financial year show that in England and Wales:
- local authorities would have needed an additional 1 billion pounds last year just to achieve their road condition goals before they even thought about dealing with the backlog of repairs;
- in the next five years, it may be necessary to reconstruct almost every fifth local road – almost 37,000 miles (59,500 km) of the network;
- one pothole is repaired every 19 seconds;
- roads are updated on average only once every 70 years.
Green adds: "The link between the ongoing lack of investment, structural decline and the unsatisfactory condition of our local roads is obvious. The country's goals of encouraging active travel as well as reducing waste and carbon emissions will not be achieved with a short-term approach that cannot provide a first-class local road network. For us to have a safe, reliable and sustainable network that we can all rely on, a long-term approach and significant investments are still needed across the country. Four years ago, the AIA estimated that it would take an additional 1.5 billion pounds a year over 10 years to bring local roads into perfect condition. Meanwhile, the condition of the road network continues to deteriorate and ALARM 2022 indicates that additional investments of more than 2 billion pounds per year are now needed over the next decade. "
The full review of ALARM has been published and is available for review.
USA
Solution Velodyne Lidar received an award SXSW
Traffic Technology Today, 21.03.2022
The Velodyne Lidar intelligent infrastructure solution has received the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2022 Innovation Award in the Smart Cities, Transportation & Delivery Awards category.
Intelligent Infrastructure Solution (IIS) provides traffic monitoring and analytics to improve road safety, efficiency and air quality, and helps cities plan more efficient and safer transportation systems.
A comprehensive solution combining award-winning Lidar Velodyne sensors and Bluecity artificial intelligence software has been deployed in Texas, Florida, Nevada, California, New Jersey, Missouri and Canada.
Among these implementations is Austin, Texas, the location of SXSW, where the city uses IIS to assess traffic conditions and identify proactive safety measures to prevent accidents.
By improving traffic flow and reducing congestion, IIS increases energy efficiency and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, the solution received the Smart 50 Award, awarded by Smart Cities Connect, to celebrate the 50 most transformative smart city projects in the world.
The SXSW Innovation Awards celebrate the most exciting technological developments in the field of connected technologies. The category "Smart Cities, transport and delivery" highlights innovations in the field of environmentally friendly or sustainable energy, transport, delivery and the Internet of Things.