Skip to main content

Pedestrian counters help monitor the effectiveness of new investment

Eton Community Association has commissioned the charity, the Outdoor Trust, to develop a promotional Walkway for the town in Berkshire in the UK. In advance of the launch in spring 2017 two Eco Pyro pedestrian counters, supplied by UK company Traffic Technology, have been installed in the town to study footfall along the High Street. Results indicate that on most days people are using the bridge as the main gateway to the town but that only 60 per cent of people crossing the bridge travel the distance o
December 16, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Eton Community Association has commissioned the charity, the Outdoor Trust, to develop a promotional Walkway for the town in Berkshire in the UK.  In advance of the launch in spring 2017 two Eco Pyro pedestrian counters, supplied by UK company 561 Traffic Technology, have been installed in the town to study footfall along the High Street.

Results indicate that on most days people are using the bridge as the main gateway to the town but that only 60 per cent of people crossing the bridge travel the distance of the High Street during the week and at weekends this reduces to 30 per cent.  

It is hoped that once launched the Eton Walkway, which connects 18 points of significance over a two-mile walk and takes approximately one hour to complete, will entice people to explore further and stay longer to enjoy more of the historic town.

The weather- and vandal-proof Pyro Box Compact uses the patented Eco-counter Pyroelectric sensor which uses passive infrared technology to count pedestrians passing within range of the sensor by detecting their body temperature. The narrowness of the detection area ensures that even two people following each other closely will be counted.  For wider walkways, two lenses can be installed facing in opposite directions.

Eton Community Association will be closely monitoring the impact of the walkway and both Eton Town Council and local traders are also planning to use the data to analyse the impact of other events and activities.

Related Content

  • June 7, 2012
    Camera technology a flexible and cost-effective option
    Perceptions of machine vision being an expensive solution are being challenged by developments in both core technologies and ancillaries. Here, Jason Barnes and David Crawford look at the latest developments in the sector. A notable aspect of machine vision is the flexibility it offers in terms of how and how much data is passed around a network. With smart cameras, processing capabilities at the front end mean that only that which is valid need be communicated back to a central processor of any descripti
  • April 2, 2019
    Deaths of US pedestrians rise sharply, says GHSA report
    Pedestrian deaths across the US have risen to their highest number in nearly 30 years. Many factors are responsible - including the rise and rise of SUVs - according to a worrying new GHSA report ore pedestrians died on US roads last year than in any year since 1990. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) suggests that 6,227 pedestrians were killed in 2018 – a 4% increase on 2017. Pedestrian deaths as a percentage of total motor vehicle crash deaths increased from 12% in 2008 to 16% in 2017, whi
  • June 29, 2018
    Avoiding the call of the wild
    Hitting an animal on a rural road can be fatal for all parties involved – but detecting and avoiding them requires clever technology. Andrew Williams carefully scans the horizon for details. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are an ever-present threat in rural areas around the world, and there is certainly nothing funny about suddenly finding an angry moose in your headlights on a sharp bend. A variety of detection and avoidance systems are currently in use or under development to help prevent your vehicle being
  • February 15, 2024
    Prowag signals change to vision statement
    New pedestrian signal requirements designed to make crossings safer for the visually impaired mean that accessible signals are no longer just an option for US cities and municipalities. They now have the backing of the law, explains Andrew Stone