New traffic light software makes traffic cleaner and safer

The municipality of Deventer will make all traffic lights in the city smarter. Over the next seven years, Deventer will use the Flowtack software from engineering firm Haskoning. This results in less waiting, cleaner air, and safer traffic. Recently, the municipality and Haskoning signed the agreement for this. 

Flowtack is software that continuously analyzes traffic flows and synchronizes the traffic lights at every moment. The system uses much more data than current traffic lights and ensures that the traffic lights can exchange data with each other.

“The use of Flowtack means that we can better align the traffic lights with the current traffic situation,” says alderman Marcel Elferink (Mobility). “This ensures that people have to wait less in many places, and better traffic flow reduces CO2 emissions. Moreover, with this system, we can make choices that align with the STOMP principle, where walking, cycling, and public transport are prioritized.”

As the first municipality in the Netherlands, Deventer replaced all traffic lights with intelligent traffic control systems (iVRI’s) starting in 2017. Now the municipality takes the next step: traffic lights that are even better and currently linked to each other. This allows the municipality to adjust the operation of the traffic lights based on policy choices such as the STOMP principle.

Deventer will continue to grow in the coming years. To keep the city livable and accessible, the municipality applies the STOMP principle: first space for pedestrians and cyclists, then public transport, shared mobility, and lastly the private car.

Applying this principle at the traffic lights means that pedestrians get priority over cars at many intersections when both arrive simultaneously. On the Hanzetracé and the N348, the main through routes in the city, the traffic lights ensure good flow of car traffic. 

The system keeps an eye on flow on main roads. This results in less standing traffic and thus less emissions. It can also give priority to ambulances, police, and fire services, as well as public transport. A bus needs less green time than ten cars but often transports many more people. 

The software supplier, Haskoning, continues to actively think along about how traffic lights contribute to Deventer’s mobility policy. The contract runs for seven years, so the systems can be flexibly adjusted to changes in the city and policy choices. The system will be set up in the near future.