Smart sensors to be installed on Nottinghamshire roads to monitor traffic

The move is part of Government funding given to Derby and Nottingham councils to improve transport services and trial new “innovative transport solutions”.

As part of the project, Nottingham Council has asked Nottinghamshire Council for the approval of 63 smart sensors at 25 locations on Nottinghamshire-run highways.

The sensors, on lampposts, will help create a network to provide real-time traffic data for both motorists and the highway authority.

The technology has the ability to access, analyse, and download data from the sensor network in real-time as well as historical data. The sensors can count vehicle volume and distinguish between vehicle types.

“This data will help develop a better understanding of the effectiveness of the county’s highway network and also provide data in support of potential future improvements to it”, county council documents stated.

In 2019 the Department for Transport made funding available to eligible Transforming City Fund regions to bid to create four ‘Future Transport Zones’ which would improve the integration of existing transport services, while also trialling new innovative transport solutions.

Nottinghamshire Council was ineligible to bid for funding, but Derby and Nottingham councils submitted a successful bid for £16.7 million.

Nottingham Council has commissioned VivaCity to install and manage and maintain the network of smart sensors for a five-year period.

The city council has also approached the county council to request permission to install 63 smart sensors on county council-owned lamp columns at 25 locations on the county council’s managed highway during 2023-24.