How queue monitoring helped Jacobs deliver better road assets and community benefits

*Bringing in Mooven allowed Jacobs to confidently make decisions based on data and key insights as part of their project traffic planning.*

Jacobs has been utilising Mooven across a number of its sites in Hobart – baselining traffic behaviour and validating other observations. In turn, this informs traffic modelling and planning, feeding into the capital and project strategy to deliver more effective road assets and economic benefit to the Tasmanian community.

Getting stuck in traffic queues is one of the more frustrating aspects of driving in any urban or rural area. Queues caused by traffic peaks, road works, special events, or incidents all cause disruption leading to frustration, unforeseen delay, and complaints.

But monitoring queues – where and when they occur, how long the queue is, and what is the delay that drivers may suffer – has always been surprisingly difficult and expensive. It has required multiple pieces of sophisticated digital equipment, a lot of expensive human observation, or both. In addition, that equipment takes time to procure and set up, often delaying the start of projects and putting more workers in harm’s way to install equipment on or near the road. It’s even more difficult when the queue extends beyond the line-of-sight – behind buildings or parkland, around corners or over hills.

In reality, that complexity, delay and expense means that queueing and the issues queues cause are simply ignored at many project locations.

Accurate Queue Insights with Mooven

Mooven has solved a lot of these challenges, delivering a unique method of accurately viewing and reporting the behaviour of traffic queues. Most often, Mooven’s queue method requires zero hardware installed thus no workers on foot. Queue sites can be set up online and be monitored in minutes. Compared to hardware-based or people-based solutions, Mooven is fast, easy and very economical to use.

By aligning the queue behaviour with traffic journey-time and delays, communications strategies using VMS boards can inform drivers in real-time of expected conditions (such as their expected journey), which reduces frustration and complaints. With proper planning, alternate routes and travel times can be communicated to drivers, enabling them to make their own decision on the best way forward.

The Case: Jacobs

Recently, Jacobs in Hobart has been utilising Mooven across a number of sites – baselining traffic behaviour and validating other observations. In turn, this informs traffic modelling and planning, feeding into the capital and project strategy to deliver more effective road assets and economic benefit to the Tasmanian community.

The most complex challenge was to accurately measure morning peak queueing behaviour at a roundabout in Hobart that was experiencing extensive peak hour queuing.

“We were pleased that the Mooven data correlated very well with drive-through tests and other manual observations,” Mathew Brooks, Senior Associate Transport Engineer with Jacobs’ Hobart office said.

“We also gained access to the detailed queueing data and detailed traffic behaviours for input into other planning processes and solutions. This gave us the confidence to use the Mooven queueing data as a key component within our traffic planning process.”

Bringing in Mooven allowed Jacobs to confidently make decisions based on data and key insights as part of their project traffic planning.

“The Mooven queue monitoring was very flexible. Mooven worked with us to set up a tailored monitoring and reporting solution to measure queues up to 2 kms from the approach,” Brooks said.

Webinar: Road to Summer Success 2021

Join Mooven for a free webinar on November 4 to understand how construction and project managers can make up for lost time and deliver on their summer programs during the busiest time of the year by working smarter, not harder.

We’re facing increased uncertainty this year as lockdown restrictions ease in most markets. How will this impact public behaviour and traffic conditions? How will this play out for Christmas shopping and summery holidays?

Construction and project managers are often tasked with the, almost, impossible – delivering projects on time and within budget after outside influences have materially impacted the project, case in point at the moment.

Mooven will be sharing learnings from 2020 and insights to help you maintain control. This will be followed by a facilitated discussion with Jim Appleby (COO – Highway Group), Oliver Fradley (Auckland North Maintenance Manager – Downer) and Micah Gabriels (CEO and founder – Mooven) so we can collectively discuss approaches and learnings.

To register for the free webinar, click here.