New project to make active travel areas safer

Sutton and Kingston Councils to partner with Vivacity Labs to improve active travel.

As part of the project, the councils will utilise Vivacity’s artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology to provide data on different transport modes.

This project follows the launch of initiatives such as the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and School Streets which were rolled out during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

These projects faced many teething issues due to the speed at which they were rolled out, it is hoped that this pilot study can anonymously support crowd management, monitoring the impact of road and pavement changes and reducing the infection risk for residents with better management of high footfall areas.

These infrastructure changes can help to improve active travel routes, enhance space and safety and, as a result, encourage and accommodate more walking and cycling. This data will also help the councils to understand more about travel behaviours and patterns and to assess and improve the impact any changes are having.

Steve O’Connor, assistant director of digital and IT at Sutton and Kingston Councils, said: ‘We are excited to be working with Vivacity Labs to pilot this technology which aims to improve safety for our residents in Sutton and Kingston.

‘We appreciate how daily habits have significantly changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there has never been a more important time for councils to have a clear understanding of the environment and health of their communities.’

Mark Nicholson, CEO of Vivacity Labs, added: ‘The pandemic has seen a significant shift in travel trends, and it has brought about changes to road and pavement space in order to accommodate for active travel and help people to keep their distance. Data insights provide the ability to both analyse where to implement changes and evaluate the effectiveness of these schemes.

‘The next stages of regeneration are crucial, and we’re delighted to be working with Sutton and Kingston Councils to help improve their active travel insight and assess and improve the safety of high footfall areas.’

Photo Credit – Vicacity Labs