Insights for the Netherlands The Netherlands is already well-equipped for multimodal traffic management. We have multimodal detection and smart traffic signal phasing. Public transport and emergency vehicles are given priority for rapid and safe passage. So what did we still learn from the succesfull projects in America? Two insights, as it happens. Insight 1 Make sure you have good data The increasing pressure on public space is negatively affecting active mobility – cycling and walking. The Netherlands needs one thing above all to realize solutions for this: reliable, accurate data about all modes of transport – including cyclists and pedestrians. This information was fully available in the American solutions, where we used FlowCube sensors to collect detailed data about all modes of transport. The wealth of information that these sensors generate could also help introduce more versatile smart traffic management in the Netherlands. In addition, this roadside equipment is compact and does not require any major infrastructural investments. Insight 2 Have the courage to reprioritize The second important insight is: be prepared to take action to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport at street level. This requires courage, in the Netherlands as much as anywhere else, because motorized traffic flow is still a major preoccupation here too. Our strong infrastructure, complemented by technological innovations such as the FlowCube, gives us the technological basis for true multimodality. 17
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