Richmond Council is deploying digital sensors to provide insights into active travel and pedestrian movements in the London borough.
The council is working with UK-based transport artificial intelligence company Vivacity Labs on the project. It will use their AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to anonymously monitor a number of things including use of cycle infrastructure, pedestrian use of town centres and use of motor vehicles.
According to the council, data from the sensors will be used to inform planning of the road network and urban environment in a bid to help make the borough smarter, safer and more sustainable.
Alexander Ehmann, chair of the transport and air quality committee, said: “Recovery from the pandemic gives us the opportunity to step back and look at how we will use our public spaces going forward.
“Early in the pandemic we quickly made urgent temporary changes to road and pavement space in order to accommodate for active travel and help people to keep their distance.
“These measures have greatly improved the public realm, but as we move into the recovery period, we anticipate that people’s transport habits and the way they use public space will continue to adapt.
“These sensors will give us a granular picture of how traffic levels and transport and pedestrian movements change through the course of a day, week or month.
The council stressed the sensors are designed to provide accurate data on road and pavement usage in a completely anonymous way. They do not collect personal data, and the technology cannot be used to gather any kind of personal data or for enforcement purposes.
This installation forms part of the South London Partnership’s InnOvaTe Project, funded by the Strategic Investment Pot as part of the London Councils Business Rates Retention scheme which is administered by the City of London Corporation.
The project uses IoT to address challenges in communities and identify opportunities to help people live better, healthier lives and live independently for longer.
