Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has partnered with crowdsourced sat-nav app, Waze, as part of a two-way data sharing initiative to help drivers in the region gain real-time understanding of road congestion and disruptions.
TfWM is using Waze’s real-time data to act fast on new hotspots of traffic on their road networks, filling in blind spots which they can’t monitor alone, across the Key Route Network. While TfWM already monitors routes and journey times, it can now track performance against the Waze calculated norm, enabling the organisation to better understand how the highway network is functioning on a day-to-day basis so they can equip drivers with the most relevant, real-time insights to optimise their travel.
In the last few years, the West Midlands has received increased economic investment, driving more people to the region with modern infrastructure and the creation of new jobs. While this investment creates new opportunities for local residents, it also leads to more vehicles on the road and a greater strain on public transport.
Through its partnership with Waze and the Waze for Cities program, TfWM can analyse data across the whole of the highway network to reduce congestion, increase road safety, and speed up journey times. The TfWM team can further coordinate with the Local Highway Authorities and National Highways to identify collisions, congestion and disruption, enabling it to better prioritise its response to any incidents by tracking irregularities across the network.
The use of Waze’s data within the Regional Traffic Coordination Centre (RTCC) is part of an evolving project to reimagine transport in the West Midlands by delivering dependable travel choices and behaviour change while supporting the growing economy. Working with Waze as part of this plan will improve communications to people moving around the region and make sure drivers receive real-time, trusted information about their journeys to inform their driving decisions.
“This partnership has been significantly invaluable to us, in helping TfWM to understand road network performance, disruptions, and utilising real data to support our wider management of the transport system, and ensuring our residents and businesses are kept informed,” says Mark Corbin, director for network resilience, Transport for West Midlands, said
“Partnering with Transport for West Midlands means we can understand more about the specific challenges they face – from reducing congestion caused by incidents and improving safety for residents and visitors, to providing access to mobility alternatives and sustainable transport options across their highway networks,” says Ru Roberts, Waze UK country manager. “More importantly, this means we can better support drivers in the region by sharing reliable data about journey times, advance notice on construction and road closures, and real-time updates on incidents affecting their route.”
