Communicating the impact of events on mobility/traffic

Introduction

Members: @turegjorup @michelle @HD_Hamburg @maria @adrian

Challenge: Events leading to changed Traffic patterns & communicating this impact, as well as collecting data, saving it and integrating it into applications that are used, showcases in dashboards, and operational systems of government professionals.

Solution: Structure that is general so we can link our locally desired solutions and implemented solutions to it.

Discussed at kick-off

• Hamburg will arrange conditions to get ready to development
• Bradford might follow but has priority in water
• Gotheborg will be part if we link the city platform
• Hamburg, Ams, Aar, goes back to domain experts and find something they are excited about
• Aarhus and Amsterdam will start working

Participants

• Lead: Amsterdam
• Support: Aarhus, Bradford, Gothenborg, Hamburg
• Testing partners: -

Anyone is free to join this working group!

Goals

This Challenge Working Group needs to accomplish the following:

• Define working group: Engage the right people in the discussion
• Common architecture: Assess the available data and technical architecture of involved solution development partners, implementation opportunities in the Living Labs, and what would be reasonable architecture to deploy the solutions on. Template will be provided by the University of Bradford.
• Research: Researches existing Open Source solutions or libraries that can be adapted and built on.
• Commit: Ensure internal support in each partner to continue to the solution definition phase.

Once complete, this group will graduate to a solution working group.

Next steps

• April 11: Complete the list of working group members (see below) before
• April 16: Complete common architecture inventory
• April 16-20: Working group teleconference for week of April
• April 26: Update consortium on progress during teleconference
• May 10: Complete research on existing solutions or libraries
• May 24: Formal commitment from all partners to continue to solution definition phase

Working group members

City of Amsterdam

• Problem owner: None yet
• Product owner: None yet
• Technical team members: None yet

Aarhus University

• Problem owner: None yet
• Product owner: None yet
• Technical team members: None yet

City of Bradford

• Problem owner: None yet
• Product owner: None yet
• Technical team members: None yet

City of Hamburg

• Problem owner: None yet
• Product owner: None yet
• Technical team members: None yet

Gothenburg

• Problem owner: None yet
• Product owner: None yet
• Technical team members: None yet

Testing partners

• None yet

Other to do’s

• …
• …
• …

Please keep this post updated. Everyone can edit this Wiki post.

FYI - Gent has an ongoing project which might be useful here: MoniTHOR, a tool to temper traffic jams in public spaces by bringing together all data on road works and temporary changes of road infrastructure.

@thimo.thoeye @JoranVD or @HansF can provide more info here?

Hi @Amsterdatamas, @HD_Hamburg, @claus, @Boris, @michelle, @turegjorup, etc.,

Since our meeting in Amsterdam I have talked with our traffic department (known as “Lys og Trafikledelse (L&T)”, ie. “Lighting and Traffic Management”) about this challenge domain. The L&T team are definitely interested in working on a challenge related to mobility/traffic, events and communication, and would like to work together with Amsterdam and Hamburg on creating an interesting and inspiring product.

Right now we have three challenges from Amsterdam, Hamburg and Aarhus that are overlapping and related, but not aligned. (Also please note that the Aarhus challenge is new to you! We had originally prepared 8 challenges, but seeing as we could only contribute 5 for the kick-off, we held a couple in reserve, and this is one!):

• Amsterdam challenge: “How can we decrease the traffic jams in the city caused by irregularities such as road works?”: https://drive.google.com/open?id=177Ism8JPbdZ1rt2iyqe48GyVzLjTSOen8oMkTSt_dw4

• Amsterdam keywords: Traffic jam, irregularities, delay, road obstructions, too many departments, lack of communication, unforeseen circumstances, detour suggestions, dashboard

• Hamburg challenge: “How can traffic management in Hamburg be more effective?”: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vdL3JG89gp0bDSDcJEAfrr9lAXGJw8UkPHYpd_b7NBk

• Hamburg keywords: Traffic jam, need for real-time information, many different departments, doesn’t get all information, merge data

• Aarhus challenge: “How can we improve event wayfinding and signage for enhanced city traffic mobility?”: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1UdoRp8E2c6QHRT6ynRMUX2XnifIHXtoz

• Aarhus keywords: Many events, increased traffic, decreased mobility, know where to drive and where not to drive, event traffic personnel, digital online mobile signage solution, publish information API

Our respective challenges need to be aligned into a coherent whole, a single unified challenge, that contains the necessary solution elements that will satisfy each of our city departments. And that work can only be done with our domain experts. From the Aarhus T&L department, civil engineer Michael Bloksgaard will work with us initially in determining what Aarhus needs from this solution.

As for leading this challenge, our T&L department does not have the capacity to do so right now due to ongoing projects. We therefore hope to leave the discussion of challenge lead for later in the process.

Anyway, where do you see we go from here?

• Should each city produce an extended version / expanded vision of their challenge, going into detail with what we want from a forthcoming solution?
• Should we set up one or more Skype meetings with the relevant people in order to gain further consensus regarding the challenges?
• Should we eventually meet up physically, eg. ‘in the middle’ in Hamburg, and create the basic blueprint for the solution?

What do you think?

Hi Mikkel, thanks for the great update!

One reflection from my side - ultimately each city has their own technical stack, which means the ‘solutions’ will never be completed transferable (ie while a large part can be generic and used by all three cities, there will always be particular elements for each city)

This means the challenges don’t necessarily have to align perfectly. If there is enough middle ground 70% of the solution can be built/compiled collaboratively, with each city working individually to finalise their particular application. But I agree this is a conversation to be had between the domain experts (& developers).

@h.niesing and @HD_Hamburg who would be right people in Amsterdam and Hamburg to bring to this conversation?

Hi @Amsterdatamas @h.niesing @HD_Hamburg,

just wanted to check in with Amsterdam and Hamburg to find out whether you have any news regarding this challenge? Are you still go? Have you had a chance to engage with the correct people in your organisations? Should we elaborate on our individual challenges, and share the results? Set up a telco to discuss matters further? Perhaps something else entirely?

Cheers,
Mikkel

Dear @Mikkel,

Thanks, I think that a telco could be useful, but do you have a bit more specific information about the solution in Aarhus to share inside the mobility department and to find the right contact person.

Greetings
Hugo

Hi @h.niesing,

I might be misinterpreting you, but we do not have an existing software solution in Aarhus for this specific challenge. This is what we hope to achieve with a joint challenge project with Amsterdam, (hopefully) Hamburg and perhaps other cities?

I think that my comment from April 13 above states it best, as has links to the various city challenges, but in short: Aarhus, Amsterdam and Hamburg have put forward mobility-related challenges that share a common core, and we therefore hope that you will work with us in creating a common solution to the problem(s) put forward. Right now the cities have different challenge objectives, ideas for solutions, requirements, etc. And, as @claus stated, the cities have different technical stacks. This means that we need to work together to create a common understanding of what we want to do, how to do it, who will do it, etc., taking into account the differences between cities. Our traffic department wants to participate in this work, and are eager to communicate with other traffic / mobility people in other cities.

I hope that this gives you something to go on. Otherwise, let me know, okay?

Cheers,
Mikkel

And that’s the purpose of WP 6.

Amsterdam are working on this https://acc.drukteradar.amsterdam.nl/ which combines on a single map: planned events, real-time traffic conditions + parking/shared bike availability and prediction of crowdedness in squares/stations

Hi @claus ,

and thanks for the link, this looks very interesting! @michelle and @turegjorup, have a look at what Amsterdam is doing right now.

@Amsterdatamas @h.niesing @Jaccobrouwer We would love to learn more about this project. What are your goals / what do you want to achieve? Who in the city administration will use this, and for what particular functions? Is it to be used internally in the city, as well as externally by the public? Where do you get the source data? Is it open sourced? Do you have documentation that you would be willing to share? And ultimately, can this project be used as a base for further development of a shared challenge?

Any and all comments are welcome

Cheers,
Mikkel

Hi Mikkel, thanks! I think this is something we could work on together. Software is all open on Github, the application is using some generic open data sources and the architecture is definitely reproducable. I could tell you all about this project since I am project managing this and work on this with a team of 7 people. However, it’s a Sunday now and I am going on holidays tomorrow.

@claus could you set up a call with anyone in the consortium who’s interestedwhen I am back? Friday 22 in the afternoon from 15:00 till 18:00 still works for me.

Herwith some oudated info, 1.5 year ago Tamas Erkelens - Presentation Rhytm.pptx (4.2 MB)
and a recent one in dutch ( since i have faith in your language skills mikkel)

Data Balans - Drukteradar Atelier.pdf (2.1 MB)

I’ll be in Greece on the 22nd of june so not available for the proposed call.

@Amsterdatamas sounds great! I have created virtual meeting rooms for each of the working groups.

We can use https://appear.in/score-event-mobility for this working group for any and all conversations (with less than 12 devices connecting). No installation or log in requirements. Just click and meet.

I set up a doodle here - @Mikkel @michelle @turegjorup what time Friday afternoon works for you? Others - @Are @klantto @pjppauwels/@HansF might be interested in joining? If so, please let us know your availability as well.

Will close doodle tomorrow afternoon.

ps: I know @Mikkel is working on google translating the slides for all

Hi @claus, all,

I’m sorry but I’m not available that specific friday afternoon. I hope you can find another timeslot - and maybe not a late (friday) afternoon

Have tentatively booked the slot that works for you @Mikkel. We can either leave as is or reschedule once Tamas gets back?

Hi @claus,

I prefer to reschedule, as neither Michelle or Ture are able to join the meeting friday afternoon. Also, I haven’t been able to talk things over with my contacts in the traffic department yet, and they might want to join the call as well…

Cheers,
Mikkel

Hi @h.niesing, @Amsterdatamas, @Jaccobrouwer, @michelle, @turegjorup,

I was present at the last WPL call, and spoke briefly with Hugo about Amsterdam and Aarhus sitting down for a talk about shared challenges, and how to start working together.

Amsterdam is already working on a number of prototypes, eg. “DrukteRadar” (https://acc.drukteradar.amsterdam.nl/) and “Register IoT” (https://amsterdam.github.io/iot/#/home) that probably started before SCORE started up. We should have a talk about how/if this work fits into the challenges before us, and how we can define projects that will be of value for everyone.

I know that everybody’s awfully busy before the summer holidays, and that Martin Brynskov and Aarhus Uni have scheduled a technical meeting about the IoT Registry challenge next week, but I hope that (at least) some of us can have an online talk later this week, either:

• Thursday, June 28, 14.00 - 15.00, or
• Friday, June 29, 13.00 - 14.00

I set up a Doodle here: https://doodle.com/poll/pni4rbehs7wfbu5i

Suggested topics:

• “Impact of events on mobility”
• “IoT registry”
• Time travel tool?

And we can use one of the online meeting rooms that @claus set up: https://appear.in/score-mobility-hub

Cheers,
Mikkel

Hello,

Together with Gent we prepare now the criteria for solutions doc template filled in for IoT (to be used for all).

Hope to share that tomorrow or Wednesday with all of you.

I am available on Thursday, Friday only after 15 hrs.

Gr Hugo

Monithor is a project build on top of GIPOD(English), which is an inventory of all temporary occupations of public space in Flanders. Monithor is the program meant to align and coordinate approved occupations of public space with the goal to increase the traffic flow specifically for Ghent. Monithor supports our mobility colleagues to setup signalisation plans, diversions and mobility advise, but also to detect conflicts early on and check whether occupations are legal, just by using tablets in the street.

Our colleagues from MoniThor had a big launch earlier this month (Dutch): https://stad.gent/mobiliteit-openbare-werken/nieuws-evenementen/eén-monithor-voor-alle-innames-van-de-publieke-ruimte
Where it is now possible to apply for taking up public space online through (also Dutch) https://stad.gent/wonen-verbouwen/vergunning-voor-de-inname-van-publieke-ruimte. Not just for private citizens and companies, but also internally for the youth service, festivity service and road works service to input temporary changes in the public space.

If you want I can connect you with the project lead in Digipolis of MoniThor to give a more technical overview over the MoniThor project.

Hi @h.niesing, @Amsterdatamas, @Jaccobrouwer, @michelle, @turegjorup, @claus,

Thanks for mailing, commenting and Doodling. The results are in, so let’s meet up tomorrow Thursday, June 28, at 14.00 - 15.00 at https://appear.in/score-mobility-hub

This meeting basically stems from my inability to properly see or visualize a path from a local Aarhus SCORE challenge to a collaboration between several cities on several shared challenges.

• For example, when several cities are already working on existing projects (eg. “DrukteRadar” from Amsterdam, “MoniThor” from Gent), is there room for collaboration and/or modification on these existing solutions, or is it only possible to follow along on an already agreed-upon path?

Let’s have an open discussion of what to do/make, how to do it, who should be involved, who can contribute - and how, when to do it, etc.

Cheers,
Mikkel