EarthSense clears traffic from pollution hotspots

EarthSense is working in the UK with Coventry City Council to divert traffic away from heavily congested roads and pollution hotspots. EarthSense’s air quality sensors are located in areas of the city where levels of nitrogen dioxide have been identified as high; particularly along the A4600 route at Walsgrave Road – a major link in and out of Coventry. When pollution levels are breached, the sensors send alerts to the urban traffic management centre where they trigger messaging on variable message s
August 2, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

8834 EarthSense is working in the UK with Coventry City Council to divert traffic away from heavily congested roads and pollution hotspots.

EarthSense’s air quality sensors are located in areas of the city where levels of nitrogen dioxide have been identified as high; particularly along the A4600 route at Walsgrave Road – a major link in and out of Coventry.

When pollution levels are breached, the sensors send alerts to the urban traffic management centre where they trigger messaging on variable message signs (VMS) which inform motorists and suggest alternative routes.

Shamala Evans, senior project manager at the council, says: “We’re taking early measures with the aim of encouraging motorists to make small changes to help reduce the pollution levels and traffic congestion before it’s too late and we’re forced to introduce chargeable clean air zones.”

Once the pollution levels have reached acceptable standards, the alerts are deactivated, and the VMS is removed.

John Seddon, the council’s head of transport & innovation, says: “The city council is keen to install the right technology across Coventry’s road network to allow us to dynamically manage traffic and respond to issues such as poor air quality or traffic incidents as soon as they happen.”

Related Content

  • March 6, 2018
    Nairobi looks to ITS to ease travel problems
    Shem Oirere looks at plans to tackle chronic congestion in the Kenyan capital - where commuters can typically expect it to take up to two hours to complete a 15km journey. Traffic jams in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are estimated to cost the country $360 million a year in terms of lost man-hours, fuel and pollution. According to Wilfred Oginga, an engineer with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the congestion has been exacerbated by poor regulation and enforcement of traffic rules, absence of
    Read More
  • March 6, 2018
    Nairobi looks to ITS to ease travel problems
    Shem Oirere looks at plans to tackle chronic congestion in the Kenyan capital - where commuters can typically expect it to take up to two hours to complete a 15km journey. Traffic jams in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, are estimated to cost the country $360 million a year in terms of lost man-hours, fuel and pollution. According to Wilfred Oginga, an engineer with the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA), the congestion has been exacerbated by poor regulation and enforcement of traffic rules, absence of
    Read More
  • August 6, 2020
    Island Radar: safely crossing continents
    There is a safety flashpoint wherever roads cross over railways. Island Radar is using well-established traffic technology to keep all parties safe from harm.
    Read More
  • December 5, 2017
    New Mersey crossing ends Halton’s congestion misery
    Plagued by intolerable congestion but denied government funding for its solution, tiny Halton Borough Council relentlessly pursued its vision and achieved what many believed impossible. Halton may be a small local authority in north west England, but it had a big traffic problem. However, as the road, or more particularly the bridge, involved was not deemed a strategic route, central government would not commission or even fund a solution - a problem that many other local authorities will recognise.
    Read More

Highlighted Content