Largest Traffic Flow Optimization Demonstration Nears Launch in The Beta District

Dublin, Ohio, located in The Beta District, plans to launch a dynamic traffic flow optimization solution to enhance the safety and efficiency of pedestrian and vulnerable road user traffic.

In December 2022, the innovative cities of Dublin and Marysville entered an agreement with a U.S. subsidiary of Technolution,  TNL Mobility. Together, they will demonstrate the benefits of dynamic traffic flow optimization at 44 intersections over two years, making it the largest project of its kind in the U.S.

As the traffic flow optimization market leader in Northern Europe, Technolution’s state-of-the-art traffic technology solutions have proven effective in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Now, they are bringing their advanced technology to The Beta District.

“With our goal to become the most connected global city of choice and our position here on the US 33 Smart Mobility Corridor in The Beta District, we have established ourselves as a national leader that is open to testing the world’s most innovative solutions,” said Jeannie Willis, Dublin’s Director of Transportation & Mobility.

TNL recognized Dublin’s excellent infrastructure when it co-invested in the dynamic traffic flow optimization demonstration.

Dublin aims to improve the safety and efficiency of pedestrian and vulnerable road user travel within the city by deploying TNL's FlowCubes. Multimodal traffic management has previously focused on traffic in its broadest sense, but TNL identified a lack of effective solutions for monitoring bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

The FlowCube fills this gap. High-resolution data is collected to drive actionable safety responses. Dashboards provide the city with continuous data on intersection performance by traffic mode. They also produce anonymous data about near-misses, violations like red-light running, excess speeding, and jaywalking, and data on greenhouse gas emissions/battery depletion.

“This intelligent traffic sensor counts individual pedestrians and cyclists. Having multiple FlowCubes combined can even calculate cycle routes and cyclists’ travel times,” said Willis, who has 23 years of experience working on travel solutions in Dublin. “Up until now, these systems focused almost exclusively on vehicular traffic.”

The technology allows Dublin to deploy scenarios for handling specific environments like school zones. The potential of this testing is widely recognized and eagerly anticipated.

“In Dublin, we innovate, we push the envelope and we work with visionary pioneers to test new solutions,” said Willis.  “We are thrilled to bring cutting-edge solutions from the world’s best and brightest to our city, learn from them, and share our insights with other communities as we navigate uncharted territory. “