The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is using Danish wireless technology company BLIP Systems’ BlipTrack Bluetooth sensors for assessing the benefits of the ongoing four-lane highway project in the country’s Waikato region.

The sensors can provide rapid assessment while gathering data for longer term evaluation of the project.

The new highway is expected to primarily reduce travel times, increase highway capacity, cut fuel costs and CO2 emissions, and improve reliability of the transport network.

In order to measure the effectiveness of the new highway, BlipTrack Bluetooth traffic sensors recorded traffic flows on the first phase of the Waikato Expressway for three months prior to and after its opening.

"The sensors can provide rapid assessment while gathering data for longer term evaluation of the project."

The sensors were configured to detect the journey time changes as well as the relative proportion of traffic using the new and old routes.

This large data set has helped demonstrate significant journey time savings, totalling NZ$7.6m ($$6.38m) annual savings to the New Zealand economy.

The Bluetooth solution adopted by the NZTA anonymously tracks Bluetooth devices such as mobile phones, tablets and hands-free installations in cars, and helps to measure traffic flow and calculate journey times.

This ability to collect traffic flow information in real time allows road authorities to proactively manage the road network to reduce delays and congestion, delivering significant economic benefits through reduced travel times and fuel consumption, along with reduced CO2 emissions.

BlipTrack sensors currently cover more than 600km of state highway network on the North Island of New Zealand.