Campus Groningen increasingly collects and researches data. A specific type of data encompasses traffic data, in particular the traffic data on Zernike Campus. In this second blog on data (read the first blog here), our data analyst Emanuela Avagyan shows how these data can help us to keep Campus Groningen accessible in the future. This is a shortened version of a larger text: you can download the whole text below.
De modal split op Zernike Campus
The analysis of traffic data collected through AI-based intelligent sensors over an extended period provides an overview of the modal split, the percentage of travelers using a particular mode of transport, on the Zernike Campus and will help Campus Groningen set smarter goals for sustainable mobility in the future. This is an important part of the focus point Data and Digitalization: Mobility Management of the Actieagenda Smart Mobility Campus 2022-2030.
Mobility on Campus Groningen
Mobility is the ability to move freely by having access to transportation options we can count on to get us where we need to go. Improving people’s mobility is at the heart of any transportation project. Mobility is an important subject for Campus Groningen. The Zernike Campus, one of the locations of Campus Groningen, is currently home to around 40.000 students and 8.000 employees. Under similar circumstances, these figures are predicted to grow linearly in the upcoming years, approaching 60.000 Campus users by 2030, a 22% increase. The area of the campus is, however, geographically limited, and the increasingly scarce space needs to be managed and used optimally.
As the number of students and employees increases, the demand for mobility will also increase. This is likely to have a tremendous impact on the already limited physical space. As a result, the Zernike Campus may face challenges such as decline in air quality, severe traffic congestion and related safety issues, increasingly crowded public transport etc. To address and tackle these challenges the Actieagenda Smart Mobility Campus 2022-2030 was introduced at the beginning of 2022. It aims for a hospitable, accessible, and lively Campus and includes ambitious goals such as the reduction of cars on the Zernike Campus and the promotion of change in travel behaviors of students, employees and visitors by 2030.
Setting smarter goals
To be able to formulate future goals more clearly, we need to first evaluate the current situation. To understand our current transportation preferences and behaviors we need to look at the modal split, the distribution of traffic volumes among the various modes of transport. By assessing our current modal split, we can set modal split goals for the future. Doing so we may hope to achieve a modal shift, a change in the share of modes, ideally in favor of more sustainable options.
Modal split analysis Zernike Campus
With the help of AI-based intelligent traffic sensors called FlowCubes, data was collected over an 8.5-month period in 2022 of incoming and outgoing traffic volumes on the Zernike Campus on working days.
Figure 1 depicts modal split on the Zernike Campus. Bicycles make up just under half of all the incoming traffic into the campus, at a whopping 48,53%. Cars and public transport users have similar proportions at 21,05% and 17,13% respectively, yet their total combined value is still lower than the percentage of bicycles. The remaining traffic share, around 13%, is distributed among pedestrians, scooters, buses, and other modes of transport (e.g., trucks, motorcycles). On average, there are 15.740 people visiting the Zernike Campus on a working day.
Figure 2 highlights working day averages allowing us to explore trends more closely. For example, as days get warmer the use of bicycles becomes more prevalent. Dips in the data on specific days can also provide us with interesting insights.
Figure 3 depicts an overview of the hourly traffic into the Campus on a working day. The morning peak is at 08.00 and the afternoon peak is at 15.10 and 16.10. These peak hours are probably due to a combination of two factors, working hours and lecture times.
Tuesday is the busiest day on the campus, while Friday is the quietest day. It can be assumed that Friday may be a free day for a lot of people or that some people may choose to work from home before the weekend. More data is needed to clarify the underlying reasons for the differences in the observed figures.
Immensely useful
Large scale collection of traffic data on the Zernike Campus is part of the broader mobility agenda of Campus Groningen. The exploration of the current data has already proven immensely useful giving us an overview of the traffic volumes and behaviors. With further research and collaboration with parties involved in regulating the complex mobility network of the Campus, we can perform more advanced analysis to set clearer goals for the future as we move towards a more sustainable mobility.
Would you like to read the whole analysis of the traffic data on Zernike Campus? Download the full article here!
