In August this year, we officially launched our MobilityIn service which provides an unprecedented view of traffic behaviours, and delivers an in-depth understanding of mobility, to support infrastructure and transport development initiatives.
Although MobilityIn was only officially launched in August, the service has been available since the start of 2020 and during that time, we have analysed a total of 21,300 km of road, which is just over half the Earth’s circumference!
Delivering insights which help to promote active travel
All year, we have been working to deliver actionable insights to local government and organisations working on their behalf, such as placemaking consultancies. Much of our work supports active travel schemes, particularly low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), through the identification of neighbourhood rat-runs and thoroughfare traffic using anonymous data.
Earlier this year, we wrote about our involvement with the London Borough of Lambeth on their Oval Triangle LTN project. We were able to build up a detailed picture of traffic patterns in the area to provide insights which demonstrated where problems exist, so informed decisions could be made regarding the existing road infrastructure and how it could be improved.
By having this clear understanding of where rat-running takes place, the borough introduced a range of mitigations, such as the erecting of temporary barriers in the form of large box planters, stopping thoroughfare traffic in the area while still providing access to residents.
How COVID has positively impacted on the introduction of LTNs
Councils and local authorities have been testing active travel schemes for a number of years but the COVID-19 pandemic has helped to drive them forward. Plus, the UK Government’s policies in response to the pandemic, including the emergency active travel fund, and the Government’s Gear Change report which sets out a bold vision for the future of cycling and walking in the UK, have also helped to encourage further investment in active travel.
This investment has led to a proliferation of LTNs springing up across the country, with more than 70 introduced in London alone between March and September 2020. It has also helped to drive further demand for the data that details thoroughfare traffic and driving behaviours, which our MobilityIn service can deliver to councils, local authorities and road safety organisations across the country.
Studies of LTN schemes across London boroughs have shown a decrease in vehicle usage and a significant increase in active travel, which is likely to greatly improve the health of the population through increased use of cycling and walking, as well as lower levels of air pollution, and make roads and communities safer by reducing unnecessary trips.
A challenging, but rewarding, first year
The need to work remotely due to the pandemic made it extremely difficult for councils and local authorities to complete on-site surveys to monitor traffic levels, and gain the data they need to make informed decisions regarding the introduction of LTN’s and intervention measures. However, it has highlighted the resilience of our solution which monitors behaviours remotely from anonymous aggregate telematics data and provides those insights directly to the relevant organisations.
Our approach, and historic data sets, mean that we have been well placed to help organisations to effectively set up these schemes, and it has enabled us to work on some of the LTN projects which have been introduced during the pandemic. We are proud to have been part of these important schemes for the future of mobility in our towns and cities, and to have been able to work on projects which are core to The Floow’s mission – to make mobility safer and smarter for everyone.
As 2021 approaches, our focus is on further developing our understanding of traffic patterns and driver behaviours to continue to deliver actionable insights, which will help promote active travel and a safer, smarter and greener future for our roads. To find out more about MobilityIn, get in touch via mobility@thefloow.com
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