Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste has announced that Dublin City Council (DCC) has joined forces with the Partnership for Healthy Cities to pilot new cutting-edge technologies for evaluating and measuring the impact of the city’s active travel investments (walking and cycling). Other partners include the National Transport Authority (NTA), ADAPT, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for AI-Driven Digital Content Technology, and Trinity College Dublin (TCD).
This unique partnership is set to boost understanding on active travel patterns in the city. The project will generate new data, which will be used to inform future infrastructure planning and improve safe and active transit options for city residents.
“Over the coming years, Dublin is investing in a city-wide Active Travel Network to provide 310 km of safe, accessible, and convenient pathways for walking, cycling, and other forms of active transportation. While this capital investment will be transformative for the city we need to think beyond the physical infrastructure and ensure that we are investing in the right technologies to generate better data and actionable insights to help evaluate and justify these investments,” said Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste.
“The last three years have seen a significant ramping up of NTA investment in Active Travel projects across the country, with many large projects, such as Clontarf to City Centre, now coming to fruition. The monitoring and evaluation of these projects needs to keep pace through the deployment of detection and counting equipment. Smart detection technology may have an important role to play in understanding trends and patterns to inform decision-making and monitor the impact of schemes. The NTA recognises that new technology and data captured will greatly improve our ability to monitor and communicate the impacts of Active Travel schemes,” said Joe Seymour, Head of Active Travel Investment, NTA.
The project will fill a gap in current methodologies by developing an Active Travel Data Toolkit, replacing the ad-hoc approach of data collection with a systematic and integrated process that supports and guides future investments in active travel.
“This project stands as a testament to DCC’s commitment to active travel as a cornerstone of health and well-being. By integrating advanced monitoring technologies, and data visualization techniques, DCC aims to set a new standard for active travel infrastructure. The ultimate goal is to achieve a measurable positive impact on citizen behaviour, emissions reduction, and overall public health, while also influencing active travel policies to foster healthier urban spaces,” said Andy Walsh, Director of Active Travel Programme Office, DCC.
By establishing a robust framework for data gathering and analysis, DCC, in collaboration with the NTA will be able to measure the true value of active travel enhancements more accurately. The initiative will be working through DCC’s Smart City team, leveraging the existing partnerships with ADAPT and collaborating with Prof Brian Caulfield, TCD.
Phase 1 of this project will target two active travel schemes – the Clontarf to City Centre (C2CC) corridor and the Kilmainham to Thomas Street scheme and the surrounding areas. The initial steps will focus on sourcing, validating, and implementing the latest innovations in active travel monitoring. During Phase 2, the insights gained will inform the development of a toolkit to enhance policy-making and active travel project implementation citywide.
Through the Partnership for Healthy Cities, cities commit to one of 14 proven interventions, from improving safety for vulnerable road users to strengthening public health surveillance systems. The network is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the global health organization Vital Strategies.
“Sustained investment in a city’s safe and active transit infrastructure can reduce noncommunicable disease risks and health inequities,” said Ariella Rojhani, Director, Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies. “Today, we congratulate Dublin on its commitment to the health and safety of its residents and look forward to seeing how this new data is used to improve their quality of life.”
The announcement comes as this week DCC presents its work to public health leaders from more than 50 cities at the Partnership for Healthy Cities Summit in Cape Town, South Africa. The annual event provides cities from around the world with the opportunity to advance solutions and exchange ideas on how to create healthier, safer and more equitable urban centres.
