Tallinn to forecast city traffic with digital system

This will ease management of congestions and public transit loads

Earlier this month, the Tallinn Transport Department announced that it has developed a digital model of a new generation that can study and analyze the traffic movements occurring in the city and thus make predictions that would greatly help with traffic management.

The model incorporates continuously updated data for 130 000 road sections and 51 450 nodes in the capital and takes into account the movements of private cars, public transport vehicles, trucks and pedestrians.

The digital system can be used to distinguish between 12 different types of road users, including students, commuters with and without cars, and pensioners from Tallinn and elsewhere in Harju County. This helps to predict and take into account the transport needs of different people in the city.

Movement patterns of the urban dynamic

The model also enables to predict changes in traffic on other major roads in case traffic on one of the city's main roads should be temporarily blocked or closed. It can be used to find answers to questions such as why congestion occurs in a specific place, what rearrangements are needed to reduce inconveniences caused by road works, or how major national road works around Tallinn will affect traffic within the city.

"The transport model is a digital tool that brings together all available data to help us understand how and when people move around Tallinn. It can help us predict transport problems and understand their causes and enables us to make decisions that support the city's holistic development as well as anticipate the impact of those decisions," explained Andrei Novikov, Deputy Mayor of Tallinn.

He added: "The model helps us assess the different needs of people in each area. For example, the traffic simulations in the model can be used to make decisions on the capacity needs of specific streets or on upgrading the city's public transport network."