| CYCLING MANAGEMENT
Annual Showcase 2020 | Intertraffic World
159
the people of Oberhausen preferred
to get into their cars or use public
transport. Why? Traffic lights were
optimized for public transport, so
cyclists had to wait a long time. Those
waiting times had to be slashed to
make cycling more attractive and
increase the number of people
using bicycles. Swarco had already
provided the traffic light systems
for Oberhausen, so the necessary
adaptations were feasible at low cost.
The main cycling route network of
the city of Oberhausen covers 67km
with a total of 191 traffic light
systems. The aim was to
increase convenience for
cyclists by giving them
preference at those traffic
lights. With the help
of automatic detection
– consisting of eight
thermal imaging
cameras and 11
induction loops
– bicycle traffic is
accelerated by predetecting
cyclists.
Detectors enable
intelligent control of signaling
systems. This means that as soon
as the cyclist approaches the traffic
light, it switches to green or – if it
was already green – the phase is
extended. This keeps cycle traffic
flowing, saves cyclists energy and
brings them faster, more comfortably
and safely to their destination. There
is no more need for pressing push
buttons at intersections or frequent
stopping and restarting. The system
communicates with the adjacent
intersections and traffic signals to
ensure a perfect coordination with
other road users and generate an
ideal traffic flow.
The main advantages of the green
wave for bicycles are a significant
increase in the attractiveness of the
cycling network. This results in a
reduction of CO2 emissions, which
in turn protects the environment
and improves quality of life. An
important side effect is how the
shortened waiting times have also
reduced the number of red light
violations and thus improved general
road safety. The green wave is
visualized by LED lights fixed in
the road surface, on posts or using
countdown signals.
The cycling app for green light
The Danish city of Odense aims
to promote itself as a bicyclefriendly
city. At present,
tests are underway using
Swarco’s new Bike Prio app
for cyclists, allowing for a
quicker ride across the city.
When the cyclist has
Bike Prio installed on their
smartphone, they simply
have to turn the app on and
place the phone safely inside
the pocket or bag. The app works
as a detector, sending a request to
the next traffic light when the cyclist
approaches the intersection. The
traffic light then switches to green,
allowing the cyclists to move on
without stopping.
Cyclemeter
Copenhagen is known as one of the
most bicycle-friendly cities in the
world. Today, nine out of 10 Danes
already own a bicycle, but only four
in 10 own a car. In Denmark’s capital,
cycling reached a new record in 2016.
Bicycles outnumbered cars in the city
center by 265,700 to 252,600. At the
same time, however, there is still
great potential to make cycle paths
safer and to expand them in order to
make cycling even more attractive
for commuters.
Swarco not only supplies highquality
colored cycle path coatings
with excellent skid resistance
properties, but also supports cities
such as Copenhagen in extending
their infrastructure for two-wheelers.
One example of these innovative
products is the Cyclemeter. Branded
with the city’s logo, it informs cyclists
about speed, temperature, time,
passing bikes on that day, public
announcements, train and bus
schedules, events, and so on. By
installing the device, a city can
motivate cyclists, thank them for
their contribution to environmental
protection or show statistics. At the
same time, the traffic authorities can
get a detailed picture of bicycle traffic
as it is already common practice in
many cities today for cars.
Blind spot warning device
Denmark is also investing in
warning signs that draw the attention
of drivers to cyclists to prevent the
high risk of accidents when cars turn
right. In-road LEDs or LED variable
message signs warn right-turning
motorists that they have to cross
a cycle path with cyclists maybe
hidden in the blind spot or dead
angle of their mirrors. When a cyclist
is detected, the signs light up with
a speed reduction message or a
warning message. As soon as there
are no more cyclists in the critical
range, the lights or signs switch
off automatically.
Bicycle data and web application
The bicycle counts collected from
devices such as cyclemeters, traffic
controllers or separate measuring
stations can be presented on the web
or in apps to provide an overview of
the city’s bicycle traffic in real time.
Historical data is stored in a
central database, which provides
access to valuable information for
the city’s marketing, traffic planning
and research 24 hours a day, all
year round. ■
Above: In Odense,
Denmark, the Bike
Prio app sends a
signal from the
user’s phone to the
next set of traffic
lights, which give
the cyclist priority
by turning green
191 The number of traffic
light systems in the German
city of Oberhausen, all of
which now give cyclists
priority over motorists