Skip to main content

BlipTrack monitoring in New Zealand

Danish wireless technology company Blip systems has supplied engineering and technology services provider Beca with its BlipTrack Bluetooth traffic monitoring system, which has been deployed in Waikato, New Zealand. The Te Rapa Bypass project is the first of a planned US$2 billion investment by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) in the Waikato region’s transportation network over the next eight years. The BlipTrack solution has been established in advance of these projects and will continue to assess
January 24, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Danish wireless technology company 3778 Blip Systems has supplied engineering and technology services provider Beca with its BlipTrack Bluetooth traffic monitoring system, which has been deployed in Waikato, New Zealand.

The Te Rapa Bypass project is the first of a planned US$2 billion investment by the 6296 New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) in the Waikato region’s transportation network over the next eight years. The BlipTrack solution has been established in advance of these projects and will continue to assess the benefits of each of these projects as they are completed.

Nine BlipTrack roadside mounted sensors have been installed to monitor travel times and route choices across the Waikato Region, with more units being added as new sections of road are opened.  

BlipTrack uses anonymous Bluetooth devices such as cell phones, headsets and in-car navigation systems to track vehicles and monitor travel times and route preferences.  The Bluetooth address is encrypted in the sensor, making it impossible to relate the information to an individual.

Project manager for the Waikato Expressway, Richard Young says, “We’re extremely pleased with the final result. The new road is delivering real time savings for all motorists, along with making the journey safer. In total it takes about seven minutes off commuters’ journeys each day. That is a significant time saving and also a saving on fuel costs.”

The system has also implemented in other parts of the country, including Wellington and Auckland following the completion of the US$250 million Victoria Park Tunnel in the city, and at Auckland airport, where BlipTrack is used for monitoring pedestrians.
 
Beca’s senior transportation analyst, Chris Vallyon, has been pleased with BlipTrack’s performance.  He says, “The Bluetooth tracking technology provided by Blip Systems provides a significant addition to the suite of technologies available to assist New Zealanders in understanding the performance of their assets and infrastructure. The hardware has proven to be robust enough to survive New Zealand’s volatile weather conditions, and the vendors have been proactive and efficient in creating a highly flexible matching system and then adapting it to suit our specific requirements.  We’re very satisfied with the service we’ve received to date.”

Related Content

  • April 29, 2013
    Blip Systems and G4 Apps team up
    Danish wireless technology provider Blip Systems has teamed up with Canadian company G4 Apps in a partnership that combines the wireless solutions of Blip Systems with G4’s driver assistance and traffic management software to provide the BlipTrac traffic monitoring solution for the US. With proven technologies like Bluetooth and wi-fi tracking, the partners say the cost of collecting detailed data for travel time, origin and destination, traffic flow, queuing and more has decreased significantly compared to
  • February 9, 2018
    Auckland Airport improves city-to-gate passenger flow via BlipTrack
    Beca’s BlipTrack solution has been extended across Auckland Airport’s road infrastructure to help manage both passenger and traffic flow. The solution is designed with the intention of measuring traffic between the Central Business District (CBD) and the airport, delivering real-time data on reliability, vehicle counts and travel time. BlipTrack provides data about the mix of staff and passengers using Park and Ride facility to help the airport to better understand the performance and regularly review
  • October 10, 2013
    Danish city uses cell phone data to reduce travel times
    The Danish city of Aarhus is using the anonymous data from drivers’ Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and GPS systems to assist them in reducing traffic congestion. Using Blip Systems’ technology and placing the small sensors in the road network, the road authorities can obtain traffic flow data in real time and proactively manage the road network to minimise delays and congestion.
  • August 29, 2012
    New Zealand road upgrades
    The New Zealand government has unveiled plans to spend US$10.3 billion on the country's land transport system over the next three years, partly funded by increases in petrol excise duty and road user charges. Transport minister Gerry Brownlee said the programme was the largest of its kind in New Zealand's history and would fund transport infrastructure and services around New Zealand such as state highway improvements and the Government's "roads of national significance".