Bluetooth sensors show great savings in major highway project

Bluetooth traffic sensors installed on a four-lane highway in the Waikato region of New Zealand demonstrate significant journey time savings, according to a report by New Zealand engineering consultants Beca and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), Money well spent? The challenge of finding primary data.
October 16, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Bluetooth traffic sensors installed on a four-lane highway in the Waikato region of New Zealand demonstrate significant journey time savings, according to a report by New Zealand engineering consultants Beca and the 6296 New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), Money well spent? The challenge of finding primary data.

To measure the effectiveness of the new expressway, Bluetooth sensors recorded traffic flows on the first stage of the Waikato Expressway for approximately three months before and after its opening. The sensors were configured to not only detect the journey time changes but also the relative proportion of traffic using the new and old routes.

The Bluetooth solution used by NZTA utilises BlipTrack sensors from Danish company 3778 Blip Systems installed in the road network. By anonymously tracking Bluetooth devices, such as mobile phones, tablets and hands-free installations in cars, it is possible to measure traffic flow and calculate journey time. This real time traffic flow data enables road authorities to proactively manage the road network to minimise delays and congestion.

BlipTrack sensors now cover over 600 km of state highway network on the North Island of New Zealand and are constantly being expanded.
Detection, Monitoring & Machine Vision Classification & Data Collection Networking & Communication Systems

Related Content

  • May 24, 2016
    High-speed WIM moves onto the main highway
    High-speed weigh-in-motion is starting to make its mark on both sides of the Atlantic. As a transit country the Czech Republic experiences a large number of overloaded vehicles, which greatly increase highway maintenance costs. This prompted its Transport Ministry to trial an extension of the capabilities of the existing truck tolling system to allow the dynamic high-speed weighing of cargo vehicles. In effect the tolling enforcement gantries become weigh-in-motion (WIM) locations.
    Read More
  • December 16, 2013
    SCATS study shows significant savings
    Australian study quantifies the benefits of SCATS to the motorists, the environment and the economy. Opportunity weekday cost savings potential of some AUD16 million (US$15.2 million) has emerged from rigorous analysis of a one-day study of Australia’s Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) in operation. This represents 27% of the total cost of a real alternative semi-adaptive traffic control. The estimated indicative annual weekday-based value is AUD3,900 million (US$3,705 million) or 0.9% of t
    Read More
  • April 2, 2014
    The great pay divide
    Public acceptance is crucial for the acceptance of managed and express lanes as Jon Masters discovers. Lists of proposed highway expansion projects introducing variably priced toll lanes continue to lengthen. Managed lanes, or express lanes to some, are gaining support as a politically favourable way of adding capacity and reducing acute congestion on principal highways. In Florida, for example, the managed lanes on the 95 Express are claimed to have significantly increased average peak-time speeds on tolle
    Read More
  • February 1, 2012
    No in-road equipment for Queensland's free flow toll bridge
    By May this year, the new Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, which is being built alongside an existing bridge, will be open. With it will come an end-to-end free-flow tolling system. Interview with Sue Caelers, Queensland Motorway Ltd. Queensland Motorways Ltd owns and operates 61km of roadway in the area around Brisbane, Australia. This includes the Gateway Bridge and the Gateway Extension, Logan and Port of Brisbane motorways.
    Read More

Highlighted Content