In the light of this context, Cinesi contributes its experience in conducting specific traffic studies to assess the effects of any proposed measures, whether these are aimed at infrastructures or management.
On the one hand, the current trend is to reduce the space allocated to private vehicles to promote more sustainable modes of transport (walking, cycling or public transport) in a shift towards more friendly cities.
On the other hand, the current socioeconomic context implies a careful analysis of the suitability of new transport infrastructures, as well as the progress made in real-time traffic management measures.
In the light of this context, Cinesi contributes its experience in conducting specific traffic studies to assess the effects of any proposed measures, whether these are aimed at infrastructures or management.
Traffic studies help to plan road networks according to changes in traffic and their relation to other socioeconomic variables such as population, town planning, economic activity, etc.
Estimating future traffic flow is assessed by updating existing sources (mandatory daily mobility surveys, etc.) and the necessary fieldwork in each case (24-hour automatic capacities, directional, floating vehicle, ad hoc surveys, etc.).
Cinesi uses two tools to create traffic models according to whether the field of study is supramunicipal or urban:
These models help us to assess short-, medium- and long-term action proposals by studying and comparing the different traffic performance parameters, which are decision-making tools when it comes to analysing alternative routes.
Urban signage plans consist of updating directional traffic signage at a municipal level.
Cinesi uses GIS tools to create urban signage plans, such as those we have produced for Igualada City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and Santa Coloma de Gramenet City Council. These tools allow us to:
The final information is presented in the form of route maps and files for each sign
A traffic light study assesses the operation of traffic lights in order to create proposals for improving mobility as a whole.
In order to do this, Cinesi uses the AIMSUN computer program for microscopic traffic simulation, which helps to assess the effect of traffic lights on road networks.
Some of the studies that Cinesi has conducted in Badalona, Barcelona or Terrassa have focused on:
Cinesi has proven experience in car park management and analysis. For example, since 2011 we have developed specific plans for Terrassa Hospital, Mercadona in Palma de Mallorca and the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority to promote park and ride facilities at Rodalies regional railway stations, among others.
Cinesi provides technical assistance in the following areas:
GIS is a system that can store, analyse and display geographical information. It therefore has the peculiarity of integrating the variable of space, which makes it a very powerful tool to support any type of study or project to help in the decision-making process.
In the above charts you can see some of its applications in Cinesi’s projects.
Automatic. Automatic traffic counting devices to record traffic volume and vehicle speeds. These provide insights into hourly and daily trends by vehicle type and direction of travel.
Directional. Designed to track the routes taken by pedestrians, cyclists, private vehicles, heavy vehicles, etc.
Plate reading system. To track the routes of motor vehicles by monitoring access points and intermediate checkpoints.
Parking. Analysis of occupancy (the length of time each space remains occupied) and turnover (the number of vehicles parking), identification of the place of residence of parked vehicles, and detection of illegal parking.
Analysis of the physical aspects of networks and photographic and/or video gathering that helps to define the condition of each section in a highly visual manner. Cinesi has the following specific material resources for conducting inventories:
4×4 vehicle. This vehicle incorporates an odometer and inclinometer to measure the length and tilt of the route, as well as a GPS receiver.
ArcGIS Field Maps. A mobile application that streamlines the process of accurate data gathering to be processed in the office during fieldwork.
The “Mystery shopper” is an essential tool for measuring, analysing and improving aspects relating to customer service.
Acting anonymously as regular customers, specialised evaluators assess key aspects related to the perception of service users, such as information on board and at stops, quality of driving, stare of cleanliness and maintenance inside and outside the vehicles and at stops, etc.
The resulting report presented by Cinesi includes all the information gathered, including quantitative and qualitative assessments and corresponding recommendations for improvement.
ADVANCE Audit is a certification tool for improving sustainable urban mobility plans, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of a city’s current mobility planning and providing directions on how to improve this in terms of sustainability.
There are a great many benefits for cities participating in the process of ADVANCE certification:
BYPAD, an acronym for Bicycle Policy Audit, is a tool developed by an international consortium of bicycle experts as part of an EU-funded project. BYPAD provides an overview of the measures and structures applied in local cycling policy.
Cinesi uses it to be able to assess the quality of cycling policies of cities by analysing their strengths and weaknesses and making specific recommendations on how to improve their cycling policy in the future.
Key applications of simulation models include network analysis, passenger transport analysis, the creation of demand models and transport planning, the design of vehicle routes and logistics, as well as land-use planning, amongst others.
At Cinesi, we use two simulation models depending on the scope of the study: TransCAD, for macroscopic, and AIMSUN, for smaller-scale studies.
TransCAD. This is a macroscopic simulation model used primarily to study mobility on supra-municipal roads. Using a geographic information system (GIS), this programme enables data for any mode of transport to be stored and analysed.
AIMSUN. This is a microscopic simulation model used to study mobility withing urban networks. It allows for vehicle-by-vehicle tracking and real-time visualisation. By simulating the various modes of transport and visualising the movement of different road users, the impact of future developments on the road network can be assessed. This makes it possible to identify potential problem areas.
AUTOTURN. A simulation model for manoeuvres and analysis of turning radii based on the current or future road network for light vehicles, heavy vehicles and buses.
Surveys are a vital source for supporting the diagnoses and action plans we propose. They can be outsourced to market research companies, with Cinesi overseeing these, or directly undertaken by Cinesi with contracted staff for the occasion.
We handle the following tasks:
Cinesi calculates emissions and environmental indicators based on (urban and interurban) transport networks and the environmental targets in question, thereby helping to compare modal quotas and existing emissions with those forecast in future scenarios.
One of the tools we use is AMBIMOB 2.0, from the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainability, which helps to environmentally assess the measures of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs). In addition to showing the variation in emissions for each pollutant, it allows us to assess the contribution of these measures towards the reductions set out in the Mobility Master Plans (MMPs).
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