A revolutionary smart city initiative that is focused on creating better transport networks across the UK took a major step toward commercial deployment at the British Grand Prix MotoGP motorcycle race last weekend.
The oneTransport smart transportation project was initially deployed to gain insight that would facilitate better traffic flow for visitors to the Silverstone Motor Racing Circuit, and to deliver a much improved all-round experience for future events. Currently, traffic data that affects traffic flow during major events at the race circuit is available, but in separate, fragmented silos that fail to give a holistic picture for race organizers and local councilors to collectively analyze. oneTransport put the pieces together by analyzing traffic data captured last weekend from Silverstone’s two surrounding counties, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, and providing intelligence on how to better manage traffic peaks coming in and out of the premier motorcycle race event.
The test at the MotoGP Grand Prix followed a successful trial at the recent British Formula 1 Grand Prix in July, where the oneTransport project was able to measure traffic flows before, during and after the event, to better understand how to optimize traffic flow. Further events planned at Silverstone over the next 12 months also have the potential to benefit from this detailed analysis.
oneTransport is a two-year Innovate UK project, proposed by a consortium of 11 partners: Arup; Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire County Councils; Clearview Intelligence; Highways England (HE); Imperial College London; Traak Systems; Worldsensing; and InterDigital Europe. The technology will be used to assist transport authorities, while laying the foundation for smarter multi-modal, multi-region and multi-system transport networks in the UK.
“As one of the UK’s leading sporting venues, Silverstone attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year who arrive at the venue utilizing a number of transport modes, and we are constantly looking for ways to improve our visitor experience. As part of our evolving traffic management plan to accommodate our customers and provide accurate travel information, it is vital that we have the latest transport data available to us and our partners,” said Alex Lacey, head of events at Silverstone Circuits Limited. “We fully recognize the value that the oneTransport project will bring in the future, enabling strategic and local transport data to be made available via a single platform. The potential to build on this and create tailored transport information solutions is of interest to Silverstone, and we look forward to continuing our participation in the project in the future.”
Alan Carlton, VP of InterDigital Europe, noted, “The technology is designed to provide greater access to, and analysis of, traffic data. “All of the oneTransport partners have worked together to open up previously closed data sets that can help reduce congestion and deliver a better travel experience for all at Silverstone. As the first step toward a live commercial deployment of the technology, we are thrilled with the results that we have seen so far.”
