Melbourne CBD to track congestion with sensors

A 1.2 square kilometre area on the fringe of Melbourne CBD will be fitted with thousands of sensors for a massive smart transport project led by the University of Melbourne.

The project will integrate sensor data with other “islands” of data from VicRoads, Public Transport Victoria, the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra, and with traffic updates from mapping firm Here.

Sensors and wireless units will be fitted to the roads, as well as to traffic signals and vehicles.

It is hoped the project will deliver “insights into traffic planning, pedestrian flows, public transport efficiency and freight movements”, the University said.

The test area will act as a kind of “living transport lab”, taking in “busy freight and commuter routes and shopping strips including Australia’s most congested road, Hoddle Street.”

It includes “7km of roadways and is bounded by Alexandra Pde to the north, Victoria Street to the south, Hoddle Street to the East and Lygon Street to the west.”

The University will work with 17 public and private sector partners on the project, including tech firms NBN Co, Telstra, Ericsson, Siemens and Cubic.

The test area is expected to begin operating in April this year.

“We’re embracing advances in technology to ensure Victoria can create the highly-integrated, smart transport network our state can thrive on,” Victoria’s Minister for Roads and Roads Safety Luke Donnellan said in a statement.

“We want to provide Victorians with the most efficient, safest transport system possible.”