NEWS
Unique cloud platform to communicate with intelligent traffic lights
Today, the Flanders Mobilidata program and the consortium of smart mobility industry partners, led by Be-Mobile, announce the implementation of a cloud platform that interconnects intelligent traffic lights in Flanders and enables information to be exchanged with road users.
This platform has been specially designed to enable new traffic applications in Flanders. External parties, such as navigation software providers, can - once they have passed an approval process - easily plug in their own applications to the platform. That makes Mobilidata an opportunity for both road users and application builders.
The TLEX® cloud platform is the beating heart of the Mobilidata system and will eventually exchange millions of items of data every minute. The intensive data exchange at approximately 250 intelligent traffic lights in Flanders is a major step towards safer, smoother, more comfortable, and sustainable traffic in Flanders by the end of 2023.
In many places in Flanders, journeys are soon to become more pleasant, since waiting at an unnecessary red light will be avoided as much as possible at intelligent traffic lights. Not only motorized traffic, but also cyclists and pedestrians will be able to go from A to B more smoothly thanks to this technology. Moreover, emergency services on their way to an incident will not have to drive through an intelligent red light. They get a green light and priority over the other traffic so that they can get to their destination more quickly and safely. Finally, a smoother flow of traffic and a reduction in unnecessary stops and accelerations of cars and trucks will also have a positive impact on the environment. These are not pipe dreams: they are concrete plans from the Flemish Mobilidata program for 2022 and 2023.
Fast, reliable and integrated data exchange between road users and intelligent traffic lights is a crucial aspect of these plans. The TLEX® platform that has now been implemented, responds to this need. In autumn, several existing applications will be upgraded to support this exchange. Road users will then be able to receive relevant information and make informed decisions on sharing their data. To support data protection, the platform is currently undergoing a mandatory risk assessment. Only once this is complete and any ensuing additional measures have been taken will data be processed.
The TLEX® platform is produced by the Dutch company Monotch, which specializes in connected mobility and is rolling out the platform as a subcontractor of the Mobilidata consortium. This is a group of private partners in the Mobilidata program, led by Be-Mobile. The current installation is a continuation of a system that already connects more than a thousand intelligent traffic lights in the Netherlands. It is an essential building block that is invisible to road users, but that they will be able to connect to later this year through various apps.
“Some fifteen years ago, as I was just starting out as a researcher, I came across this concept of smart traffic lights that exchange data. Despite all international research efforts in this field, there was only one country in the world that had actually rolled this out on a large scale to the day-to-day lives of road users: the Netherlands, via the Talking Traffic program. The fact that Flanders, thanks to the Mobilidata program, is now rolling out smart traffic lights and at the same time further developing the technology, is a world-class achievement we can be very proud of.”
“Commissioning of the Traffic Light Exchange (TLEX®) is a significant step in the development of smart mobility for Flanders. It enables the secure and reliable exchange of information between road users and traffic lights which can be used to make the transport system safer, more efficient, and more environmentally sustainable. Monotch is proud to have been chosen by Flanders to participate in the Mobilidata project based on our signature product and our extensive expertise.”
More information on the implementation of the platform: BLOGPOST: Mobilidata launches first technological building block to create connected mobility.
About Mobilidata
The Mobilidata program was launched by the Flemish public authorities Agency for Roads and Traffic, Department of Mobility and Public Works, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Agency and the Department of Economy, Science, and Innovation. The program is coordinated by strategic research centre imec and receives additional financial support from the European Union (Connecting Europe Facility, CEF).
Technology is the means used by Mobilidata to make traffic in Flanders safer, smoother, more sustainable, and more comfortable. Mobilidata gathers mobility information from road users, road infrastructure, vehicles, applications, and government systems, processes the data and then makes it available in real time to all road users, regardless of their mode of transport. This allows road users to receive more personalised traffic information and warnings on their way. And at intersections with intelligent traffic lights, traffic can be handled more dynamically based on the traffic present. The technological mobility solutions are implemented within the Mobilidata program in co-creation with companies that have extensive expertise in traffic technology.
About Monotch
Monotch is the decisive C-ITS data aggregator that enables safer, more sustainable, and more efficient road transportation. They do so through their Traffic Live Exchange (TLEX®) platforms. Monotch is recognized as leading in the European smart mobility industry with its award-winning platform. TLEX is connecting data, services, and transactions. The company helps customers to respond to the latest mobility trends and challenges. Monotch improves traffic flow and offers solutions for smart traffic and smart travelling, thereby contributing to safe, smart, and sustainable mobility.
Why this matters
- TLEX was implemented as the core cloud exchange for Mobilidata, with intensive data exchange planned across approximately 250 intelligent traffic lights in Flanders.
- The platform was designed to eventually handle millions of data items per minute and built on a system already connecting more than 1,000 intelligent traffic lights in the Netherlands.
- Approved external providers could connect their own applications, allowing multiple services to use the same traffic-light data exchange.
- At launch, benefits such as smoother passage for cyclists and pedestrians and green priority for emergency services were concrete plans for 2022–2023; road-user data would only be processed after a mandatory risk assessment.
About Be-Mobile
Be-Mobile Group is a European leader in smart mobility solutions, providing real-time traffic information, safety services, and connected driving technologies. Through its consumer platforms, including Flitsmeister, the company serves millions of drivers with community-driven insights and in-car experiences. In addition, Be-Mobile delivers data-driven solutions and services to businesses and public authorities, enabling smarter traffic management, safer roads, and more efficient mobility ecosystems across Europe.
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