Developing active transportation schemes to support more walking and cycling

Challenge

Oxfordshire County Council are developing a set of active transportation schemes with plans to reallocate road space to cyclists and pedestrians to increase cycling in the county and to create an environment that is safer for both walking and cycling.

The council needs to monitor key junctions across the county to generate a comprehensive, real-time dataset that provides clear insights into vehicles’ speed, road positioning and direction of travel, to ultimately improve the safety of cyclists on the road.

Solution & Benefits

Viva sensors have been installed at junctions across the county, gathering data on both the number of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users. Path data also shows the interactions between cyclists and other road users, which is used not only to assess cyclist interventions and assess safety, but also to provide insight into how other modes of transport are using use the road network.

This data insight is supporting planning for improvements in both infrastructure and safety, helping increase cyclist numbers, with the ability to monitor, measure and report on scheme results.

It also provides a strong dataset for future active transportation projects which reduce congestion, improve health and wellbeing and increase business productivity.

A detailed picture of the transport network around Oxford will also be invaluable for assessing the impact of future transport policies such as the city centre zero emission zone beginning in 2020. A cycling friendly and zero emission city centre is likely to make Oxford an even more desirable place to live or visit, with a corresponding impact on the economic growth of the city.