Campus Groningen, a vibrant hub of knowledge and interaction, witnesses a daily dance of transportation modes. But what happens when the availability of a particular mode of transport changes? Lars Rosevink, a student pursuing studies in Marketing Analytics & Data Science and Technology & Operations Management at the University of Groningen, conducted his master's research on traffic data at Zernike Campus between February and June 2023.
Lars, your research essentially bridges the gap between Data Science and the practical challenges of ensuring a well-connected Campus. What was the focus of your research?
"My research focused on the intriguing connections between various modes of transportation and the impact of a change in a specific mode of transportation on campus visitors. I analyzed data provided by 'FlowCubes', measuring devices that track the traffic of different transportation modes on Zernike Campus. My goal was to understand how changes in the availability or use of one transportation mode influenced other transportation modes."
How did you conduct this research exactly?
"I did this by first mapping out the data from FlowCubes on Zernike Campus. This involved determining how many visitors arrived at the Campus by each mode of transportation on a daily basis. The other part was working with predictive scenarios. For example, if you hypothetically increase the number of visitors using a particular mode of transportation, let's say cars, what does that do to the other modes? Do they decrease, thus correcting for it, so that the total number of campus visitors remains the same? Or does it lead to an increase, and how does that play out in the following days? This allowed me to observe a sort of long-term effect of a boost on a specific day."
Did the results of such a hypothetical 'boost' align with your expectations?
"Partially! One notable finding was that when the number of cars decreased, other transportation modes such as cycling and public transport did not automatically increase. This is termed a 'non-absorption effect,' and it's not entirely in line with the Campus's goals. The Campus aims to reduce the number of cars and promote other, healthier, and more sustainable modes of transportation like cycling. This means you need to carefully consider the measures you implement to achieve this. Ultimately, you don't want people staying away from the Campus."
Were there any other noteworthy results?
"Definitely. Another fascinating observation was the 'licensing effect,' where I found a positive relationship between cyclists and scooter users. This suggested that individuals who had previously cycled might feel more comfortable using a scooter the following week. I also found it intriguing to see that certain factors, such as rainy weather, public transport strikes, and holidays, had a significant impact on mobility patterns on the Campus. I believe this underscores the importance of flexible and adaptable mobility strategies."
Meer info
Do you want to learn more about mobility and data on Campus Groningen? Then read the entire series here, including the interview with our data analyst Emanuela Avagyan, the blog about the modal split on Zernike Campus, and the interview with our data analyst Iris Tigchelaar about mobility data.
Source article: Campus Groningen, author Marlies Schipperheijn
Header image: Campus Groningen
