Würzburger Institut für Verkehrswissenschaften GmbH (WIVW)’s Post

🚗🗺️ **Ever wondered how digital maps are kept up to date?**   Maps are constantly changing💱. From new construction projects to unexpected detours, the digital maps we rely on need to be just as dynamic. But how exactly do commercial companies like TomTom detect and update recent changes like a Roundabout at Kimsterweg in #Volendam so that the maps reflect reality?   At #TomTom, one method of keeping maps accurate is using GPS tracks of cars📈. This data comes from millions of vehicle trips from drivers from #Volkswagen, #BMW, #Jeep and #Renault etc, where anonymous GPS signals help us detect discrepancies between the current map and the new road network. When a significant difference is found—like a new road roundabout as in the video — our systems automatically flag these changes. Our team then updates the road geometry, ensuring the map you use is as accurate as possible. 🚗🗺️

Interesting post of how to keep maps/road geometries up to date using the GPS traces of cars.

Are kids properly restrained in ride-share vehicles? Westat experts led a study for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, providing insights on child passenger safety when using ride-share services. Learn more: https://ow.ly/tjFs50QXCJ9

Johannes Mark, Head of Global Parking Insights at EasyPark Group, gave an exclusive interview with Automotive Industries. In it, he dives deep into how lidar technology is transforming urban parking through ParkMobile Insights. "Cities need to understand how to balance parking supply and demand to address problems like double-parking, illegal parking, and empty parking spaces/lots," he emphasized. Johannes unpacks the multiple ways accurate parking data can revolutionize city planning, lower housing costs, and improve overall quality of life. He also demonstrates how lidar technology, harnessed through ParkMobile Insights, transforms parking challenges into efficient solutions, ultimately contributing to more livable and sustainable cities. “On average, 25% of public space in US cities is used for parking,” he explained. “By optimizing parking infrastructure to meet actual demand, cities can free up space for other uses, such as public parks, making them more enjoyable for residents and visitors.” Don’t miss the full interview in Automotive Industries for an in-depth look into the future of urban parking. https://lnkd.in/draS9cms #lidartechnology #urbanplanning #smartcities #parkingmanagement #automotiveindustries #lidar

#Pedestrian#lens Pedestrian crossing lenses are the colored lenses located on traffic signals, specifically at crosswalks, that indicate when it is safe for pedestrians to cross the street. These lenses typically alternate between a white "walk" signal and a red "don't walk" signal to guide pedestrians across the road safely. The lenses are designed to be easily visible during both day and night, and are an important aspect of traffic signal technology to ensure the safety of pedestrians. https://lnkd.in/g7FFZ-9z

Earlier this year, T&E found that over half of new vehicles are too wide for many on-street parking spaces in European cities. Car width continues to grow by 1 cm every two years, obstructing traffic but also bringing a higher risk of fatalities in collisions with pedestrians and cyclists. In February, residents of Paris took action by voting to triple parking fees for large SUVs. Will other European cities be inspired to re-evaluate their relationship with bigger and bigger cars on the road? Did you miss our report in January? Check it out at the link in the comments. #SUV #Paris #EuropeanCities

🚗💨 While SUVs offer many advantages, it's essential to consider their impact on our roadways and environment. These heavy vehicles contribute to decreased road safety, occupy excessive street space, and negatively affect air quality in our communities. As we advocate for smarter transportation solutions, we encourage a dialogue around the benefits of lighter, more efficient vehicles that can help create safer and cleaner streets for everyone. Join us in exploring innovative strategies to promote low-emission zones and enhance urban mobility. Learn more about our initiatives at https://lnkd.in/eFadeX8. Read more about SUVs in Belgium at https://t.ly/wylSa. #SustainableTransport #AirQuality #UrbanPlanning

Looking forward to paying attention to pedestrians from scratch in the transportation planning modeling assignment instead of making unrealistic assumptions. This is a missing piece in surface transit projects and vision zero plans. #transportation #modeling #pedestrians #visionzero #transportationplanning #ttc #transit #aimsun

The limited success of park-and-ride is due to its inconvenient process: (1) finding parking space, (2) walking to the platform, and (3) waiting for transit arrival. However, considering automated (i.e., driverless) vehicles, we can simplify these steps to (1) getting off the car right at the station platform and (2) waiting for the ride. Also, replacing the second mode, fixed-route transit, with on-demand shared mobility will further reduce waiting time without the concern of punctuality. Based on these ideas, I'd like to share my recent paper "Re-envisioning the Park-and-Ride Concept for the Automated Vehicle (AV) Era with Private-to-Shared AV Transfer Stations" collaborated with Prof. Michael Hyland and Dr. Sunghi An. In this study, we propose operating private-to-shared AV transfer stations with shared AV lanes on freeways, aiming to reduce VMT and VHT in congested areas/hours. A case study on Greater LA shows an expected 18% shift of single-occupant vehicle travelers heading for Downtown LA to our suggested system, resulting in a decrease of VMT by 250k miles and VHT by 30k hours during the 3-hour AM peak period. Considering the predicted increase in VMT due to AV deadheading miles, the private-to-shared AV transfer system can be an effective TDM strategy for planners in large cities. The accomplishment of this study was made possible with the dedicated guidance of my great advisor, Prof. Michael Hyland, and the timely support of my lifelong fellow researcher, Dr. Sunghi An. My journey of modeling and analyzing private AV travel patterns is ongoing, and I hope these studies will contribute to our future's more sustainable and convenient transportation systems. Please find more details in the following links: - This study: https://lnkd.in/gWZv5nTa - Related previous study (Expected VMT increase with private AVs): https://lnkd.in/gBcJ4DSw

Hi LinkedIn Network, Here is our newest paper on External HMI for Automated Shuttles in Shared Spaces. Within the paper we discuss results from a questionnaire with participants from both the UK and Australia. Interestingly, our friends from Australia were more willing to take 'risks' when crossing with an #AV then our UK counterparts. Also, both pedestrians and cyclists reported more willingness to cross and had higher feelings of security and relaxation when an #eHMI was present. The paper is available here - https://lnkd.in/edPKCp7k. Please download it, read (and cite)! Well done Sarah Brill for publishing this as part of your PhD, and thanks to the co-supervisors William Payre and those at Deakin University, Ashim Debnath and Ben Horan.