During a major air show in New Zealand, in order to help ease the traffic flow by providing spectators with live traffic updates, Beca deployed a network of BlipTrack sensors, produced by Denmark-based BLIP Systems.
The solution, already implemented in numerous road networks all over New Zealand, Thailand, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the UK, captures the point-to-point journey patterns and travel time of drivers in real-time, as they pass the sensors.
The resulting traffic information could be communicated directly back to motorists in their cars, allowing them to make informed travel decisions, minimize frustration and stagger the continuous arrival of visitors. Both spectators and residents in surrounding neighborhoods were advised to check the transport agency’s DriveLive web page for up-to-date information on delays, travel times and even alternative routes.
Beca’s Project Manager, Richard Young, said: “Providing the Air Tattoo, NZTA and, most importantly, spectators with live and accurate travel information is a key way that we can ensure the event runs smoothly. We had a team working the weekend ready to react to any incident and provide the Air Tattoo team with all the traffic data they needed to keep roads moving. The road network was the busiest of the summer and thanks to using the BlipTrack system we were able to demonstrate that there were minimal delays caused by the Air Tattoo.”
The information was continuously updated, in line with the actual behavior of spectators to and from the show. So, when considering their route and time of departure, the motorists themselves were helping to reduce bottlenecks and keep the traffic moving.
BlipTrack also is successfully employed in optimisation efforts in more than 25 international airports, including Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, JFK Airport in New York, Copenhagen, Oslo, Manchester, Dublin, Brussels, Geneva, San Diego, Keflavik and Edinburgh. In recent years, the solution has been rolled out in train stations, ports, ski resorts, amusement parks and at events all over the world.