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BlipTrack traffic-tracking sensors are being used to calculate and analyse travel times for strategic planning tasks in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.

Gathered data provides information about various changes in traffic patterns, recognises time-critical segments of a route and shows the efficiency of different modes of transport.

With its rapid urban development, the state is experiencing a noticeable rise in traffic, commuters and the number of vehicles on the road.

Due to the increased traffic volumes, Zurich’s office of transport required a system that would provide detailed and precise traffic information.

This led to the deployment of a network of BlipTrack Bluetooth-enabled sensors provided by Danish IT company BLIP Systems.

"The development and knowledge of the travel times helps us to identify potential for improvements in our road network."

Swiss systems integrators Innolutions installed sensors along certain routes in and around the region.

The five-year project requires BLIP Systems to provide more than 80 tracking sensors.

These sensors will be used to measure real-time travel times and assess traffic on 50 major routes in the region for about one month every year.

Office of transport project leader Christian Ordon said: "The main reason for installing the sensors is to gain data about travel times and to get an idea of how the quality in transport is developing.

"The development and knowledge of the travel times helps us to identify potential for improvements in our road network."

German traffic consultancy firm DTV-Verkehrsconsult analyses and records the collected traffic data, which is used for strategic-planning tasks and regional traffic concepts.

The office of transport is planning to use the data to make permanent travel time measurements and provide real-time traffic information to drivers such as suggest alternative routes and estimated driving times.

This will help lower the consumption of fuel, travel times and vehicle emissions.

Innolutions project manager Remo Schiltknecht said: "The installation and commission of BlipTrack sensors is easy and user-friendly.

"All traffic information is presented in real-time and in selectable graphics, accordingly to the wishes of the user."

Image: BLIP Systems will provide more than 80 Bluetooth tracking sensors across the region. Photo: courtesy of BLIP Systems.