How Sittard-Geleen used Data Analysis (ODIQ) to uncover the facts behind cut-through traffic
Large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the widening of the A2 highway between ’t Vonderen and Kerensheide, inevitably cause traffic disruptions and regional anxiety. Following a series of incidents on the highway, residents of the nearby hamlet of Graetheide voiced concerns about increasing cut-through traffic. Rather than relying on gut feelings or assumptions, the Municipality of Sittard-Geleen deployed Localyse’s ODIQ platform to monitor routing advice in real-time and uncover the hard facts.
The challenge
Gut Feeling vs. Digital Reality
The hamlet of Graetheide runs parallel to the A2 highway. To protect local liveability, the municipality recently underwent a drastic physical redesign to transform the area into a traffic-calmed 30 km/h zone. The road was narrowed to 5.80 meters, on-street parking was introduced, and various speed humps and chicanes were installed.
However, when preparatory work on the A2 began and highway incidents increased, worried citizens quickly contacted the municipality, claiming the area was being flooded with cut-through traffic.
The immediate assumption in these scenarios is often that navigation apps like Google Maps are mass-routing drivers through local streets to avoid highway delays. But was that actually happening? How often, and at what times, was this specific route truly being recommended by Google Maps? To implement effective policies and communicate clearly with residents, the municipality needed objective traffic monitoring.
The approach
Measuring Cut-Through Traffic with ODIQ
Sittard-Geleen partnered with Localyse to put these assumptions to the test. Using the ODIQ data platform, they set up a targeted travel-time and routing analysis:
- Monitoring Routing Advice: The alternative routes through Graetheide and the parallel Obbichterweg-Bornerweg were locked into the platform using waypoints. This allowed the municipality to measure exactly when and how often Google Maps offered these routes as alternatives to drivers.
- Verifying Digital Speed Profiles: Simultaneously, Localyse verified that the digital map was up to date. They ensured navigation systems correctly calculated routes using the new 30 km/h limit (instead of outdated 50 km/h data), making the local streets far less attractive to the navigation algorithms.
The insight
The Power of data-driven validation
The results from the ODIQ analysis provided the municipality with a surprising, yet highly valuable insight: In reality, Google Maps rarely recommended the shortcut through Graetheide. Even at peak times when delays on the A2 spiked due to accidents, Google Maps’ algorithm kept drivers on the main highway.
This led to a crucial conclusion for local mobility policy: the traffic filtering through the village during busy periods did not consist of masses of ‘digitally routed’ strangers, but rather local commuters who simply knew the area well and left the highway on their own initiative.
The results
Peace of mind for residents and targeted communication
By leveraging the ODIQ platform, the Municipality of Sittard-Geleen achieved key objectives:
- Facts Over Assumptions: The municipality gained black-and-white proof regarding the actual impact of digital navigation systems on local liveability.
- Targeted Citizen Communication: Armed with hard data and clear charts, the municipality could objectively reassure worried residents. It proved that the physical redesign, combined with the correct digital speed limit (30 km/h), effectively kept navigation apps out of the village.
- Avoiding Unnecessary Infrastructure Costs: Because the data proved that navigation apps were not actively pushing the shortcut, the municipality saved significant time and budget by avoiding unnecessary, restrictive physical traffic measures (like road closures).
Let's discuss your project
Want to know if navigation apps are truly driving cut-through traffic through your municipality? Test your assumptions, measure the facts with ODIQ, and contact Localyse today for a targeted routing analysis.
