Smart Traffic
How will we get around in the future? Ideally faster, safer, increasingly equally – and with less emissions. Startups and transport companies are already using digital tools and AI to optimise urban mobility for everyone.
Digitalisation in road traffic encompasses much more than just electric cars or autonomous driving. In all areas of mobility, digital routes are being explored to increase safety and to optimise traffic management and enhance its sustainability. Sensors, data, analytics and artificial intelligence are crucial for this. When it comes to digitalisation, Düsseldorf is one of the leaders in Germany. Nationwide, the city comes out on top with regards to scooter dashboards, which enable the tracking of scooter traffic. As a test area for autonomous driving in the research project “KoMoD - Cooperative Mobility in the Digital Test Field Düsseldorf”, the city was part of the 14.8 million funding programme “Automation and Networking in Road Traffic” of the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).
Within this project a wide range of requirements for networked and fully automated driving and parking were developed and individual test scenarios were researched. In addition to autonomous parking and driving on test routes, vehicles were used as mobile sensors to detect dangerous situations, accidents and incidents in the test area and to communicate these to the drivers and the surrounding infrastructure. Smart communication is also the focus of the current VinDUS project, which is developing an environmentally sensitive traffic management system in aid of traffic information and dynamic guidance. It works by continuously collecting current traffic and environmental data. This forms the basis of an intelligent traffic technology that reacts to the figures in real time and consistently adapts traffic light phases, speed limits and traffic information to the current situation. Within the pilot project, the information and the resulting measures to control air pollution are to be made available to road users as far as possible before they start their journey. The environmentally sensitive traffic signal control system is already in operation at three traffic lights in Düsseldorf.
„Smart” street lamps fitted with detectors help in the search for parking spaces on Düsseldorf’s “road of the future” and offer charging facilities for electric cars“
A better way to get around
At the mobility stations of Connected Mobility Düsseldorf GmbH, transport users can easily switch between different means of transport.
As part of Mobility Plan D, which specifies measures and goals for Düsseldorf's traffic development until the year 2030, more and more mobility stations are currently being built, which serve as mobile transfer hubs and provide alternative travel services. Düsseldorfers can access various transport options there around the clock. The sharing concept includes digitally rentable bicycles or cargo bikes, e-scooters and electric cars. By the end of 2022, the first six stations were already created in Unterbilk and Bilk by Connected Mobility Düsseldorf GmbH (CMD), a 100% city subsidiary. By 2030, up to 100 stations are to be set up - in busy residential areas, train stations, supermarkets and event locations. As part of the digital traffic revolution the app Traffic Pilot is also aiming to contribute to improved air quality in Düsseldorf. Using this service, cyclists can comfortably ride the “green wave” in the entire Düsseldorf city area. The app indicates the correct speed for this and is intended to ensure smoother cycling, to prevent unnecessary stops and to avoid heavy braking or acceleration manoeuvres. The app can also be used in the car and helps to adapt the driving style to traffic lights so that the adjusted driving speed leads to a reduction in fuel consumption as well as pollution. Around 70 percent of the more than 600 traffic lights located in Düsseldorf already support Traffic Pilot.
Smarter parking
Approximately 314,000 cars are registered in Düsseldorf. In 2020, each driver spent an average of 27 hours in traffic jams, not to mention the nerve-racking search for a parking space in the city centre. The pilot project SmartCity addresses the parking space problem with its innovative sensor technology for parking management at Fürstenwall. “Smart” street lamps fitted with detectors help in the search for parking spaces on Düsseldorf's “road of the future” and offer charging facilities for electric cars. Sensors located on lanterns already record the availability of around on-street 170 parking spaces and transmit the information to the internet in real time. This allows drivers to use their smartphones to locate free parking spaces. There are additional sensors installed on the lanterns hat provide data on traffic flow as well as environmental and weather data. Young startups are also addressing the parking problem.
Free parking spaces via app: ParkEfficient founders Florian Bosch and Maximilian Wilms facilitate the nightly use of vacant company parking spaces for private individuals with their application.
The Düsseldorf-based company Park-Efficient, founded in 2017, has developed a programme that enables drivers to use underground car parks and parking spaces of companies at night. This way more than 100,000 parking spaces become available, as most companies in Düsseldorf have spaces in underground car parks or outdoor spaces, which are not used during day or night time. The Park-Efficient app indicates which company makes their spaces available and where they can be found. A camera reads the number plate and the barrier lifts immediately. However, the Düsseldorf-based startup has further ambitious plans: together with the Düsseldorf Rhein-Taxi, Park-Efficient is aiming to redistribute commuter traffic to available Park&Ride services based on AI. At specific key locations commuters will be given the opportunity to change to another mode of transport and switch from their cars to alternative climate-friendly modes of travel. These key locations are identified through the evaluation of traffic data. At the same time, commuters are being informed about the best way to get to their destination.
„AI technologies are particularly exciting for taxi companies and public transport aiming to optimise services and save resources“
Getting there faster
AI technologies are particularly exciting for taxi companies and public transport aiming to optimise services and save resources. This year, the taxi company Rhein-Taxi will use AI models to extract patterns of demand for taxis, so predictions can be made for specific areas and time periods. Recommendations will be made based on the tracking of current positions and availability of drivers. Intelligent algorithms support the planning of shifts and enable the best management of drivers according to demand. Automated location recommendations based on expected demand optimise each driver`s workload. Real-time evaluation tools such as Heatmaps can also be used to make substantial assessments of a city's traffic network, which then can inform further planning. And in addition to a new app, Rheinbahn is also relying on digital processes to optimise traffic flow. With a 21% share of inner-city traffic in 2019, public transport is an important means of transport in Düsseldorf.
Service providers like Rhein-Taxi Düsseldorf also have their sights set on a digital future. Managing director Michael Mühlin is installing the necessary sensor technology in the company's e-workshop.
Rheinbahn transports almost 229 million passengers annually. In order to increase reliability and reduce the amount of time lost, software collects all journey data and automatically evaluates predefined analyses and key data at night. This makes it possible to capture the annual analysis of an entire route within a few seconds. The Rheinbahn project “Acceleration” has set itself the goal of decreasing the wait at traffic lights, the cause of unnecessary delays. For the acceleration of public transport at traffic lights to succeed, an appropriately equipped vehicle, an infrared beacon and a radio-capable traffic light control unit are required. More and more traffic lights in city zones are being upgraded and are able to communicate with busses and trains, which are then are able to pass busy traffic light-controlled junctions almost without delay. •
Words Karolina Landowski
Pictures iStock