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City of Ottawa Traffic Operations
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Industries
- Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Facility Management
Use Cases
- Traffic Monitoring
- Predictive Maintenance
- Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
Services
- Data Science Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
According to the 2018 TomTom Traffic Index, Ottawa ranked 4th most congested city in Canada and 14th in North America. Congested roadways are a major road-bump for the economy and culture of urban areas. Knowing this, the City of Ottawa was looking for a way to actively monitor and manage the impact of local traffic events such as road closures and present their findings using factual data. Making improvements in collected traffic data’s reliability is crucial to effectively manage roadways and relay accurate information to travelers and traffic managers.
About The Customer
The City of Ottawa's Transportation Services Department is responsible for managing the city's traffic operations. Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, faces significant traffic congestion challenges, ranking 4th most congested in Canada and 14th in North America according to the 2018 TomTom Traffic Index. The department aims to maximize the safety, efficiency, capacity, and predictability of the existing road network for all users. With frequent construction projects and road closures, the department needs reliable and real-time traffic data to manage and mitigate congestion effectively. The department's responsibilities include monitoring live traffic conditions, collecting travel time data, and making data-driven decisions to improve traffic flow and safety.
The Solution
SMATS Traffic Solutions’ data analytics platform, iNode™, has integrated crowdsourced traffic data. This allows the City of Ottawa to establish “virtual sensors” and monitor traffic conditions in real time, eliminating the need of dealing with hardware in terms of installing, relocating or retrieving. The use of iNode™ enables the City to monitor live travel time, compare alternative travel routes and perform before-and-after studies. Keeping in mind social impact, traffic data is sourced from “floating-cars”, made anonymous to respect public privacy. The iNode™ data analytics platform offers unlimited access for municipality staff to monitor and evaluate traffic conditions. This allows multiple sections within the City to utilize a common platform for transportation decisions. The data can be utilized for a variety of cases, such as incident monitoring, signal optimization, and data-backed travel times. The all-in-one, web-based transportation monitoring system allows the City to perform traffic studies of all durations on high-frequency city roads. The adaptability and accuracy of the system is a clear advantage of SMATS technology.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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