Behold, the dawn of ‘smart’ traffic lights: cyclists in the Netherlands will soon be able to turn the light green just by downloading an app.
These intelligent traffic control systems (iVRIs) are activated when the navigation system detects an approaching cyclist, without the rider having to do anything.
According to RTL Nieuws, an app called ‘Da’s zo gefietst’ (That’s done easily) has been commissioned by the provinces of Limburg, North Brabant, Overijssel, Utrecht, and South Holland to encourage cycling.
That app will include a feature that enables this communication between smart traffic lights and cyclists. Drenthe, Gelderland, and Groningen are also joining the effort.
Anonymous communication
The app-to-light communication will not be traceable to the specific phone or person, RTL reports.
An anonymous message will be sent to the smart traffic light when a cyclist approaches, causing the light to turn green. Once the cyclist is gone, the signal is cut.
According to Rijkswaterstaat, this complies with the GDPR: the transmission occurs entirely through anonymised data.
Already happening
This is not a new system: lights like these exist throughout the Netherlands.
There are currently 1,450 such lights in the country, according to the Rijkswaterstaat, and emergency services already use this light-to-vehicle communication.
It’s simply a matter of extending the convenience that smart traffic lights offer to cyclists, as well as to other vehicles.
The hope is that easier passage for bikers and fewer stops will make cycling more attractive overall.
What do you think of this latest development? Let us know in the comments!
Not that new to me. Our town Mülheim an der Ruhr, North Rhine-Westfalia uses camera-detection for Traffic lights. It responds to approaching cyclists leaving the nearby Cycling Highway. You don‘t need an App for it. There is a big crossing which would make a cyclist lose a lot of time without it – just 400 m from our home. ,