This is a guest blog by Idris and Bart, students in the part-time Civil Engineering program at HAN University of Applied Sciences. For their graduation research, they focused on the traffic situation surrounding the roundabout on the N211 in the Westland region. After discovering ODIQ at the Traffic Expo in Houten, they decided to use the tool to provide a data-driven foundation for their study. In this blog, they share their experiences and findings.
Data-Driven Insight into Traffic Flows on the N211 in Westland
For our graduation research at HAN University of Applied Sciences, we (Idris and Bart) investigated the traffic conditions around the roundabout on the N211. This road serves as a vital link between the Westland region and The Hague, handling heavy traffic volumes daily. The goal of our research was to gain insight into how traffic actually behaves around this roundabout and whether the current design is still fit for purpose.
During the Traffic Expo in Houten, we got in touch with Jeffrey from Localyse. During our conversation, we discovered ODIQ, a tool that could provide our research with a robust, data-driven foundation.
A New Way of Analyzing Traffic
Working with ODIQ was a completely new experience for us. Instead of relying on isolated snapshots, ODIQ offers an accessible way to collect and analyze traffic data. This creates a cohesive picture of traffic flows and travel time variations over extended periods.
We measured traffic around the roundabout for one month. This provided us with insights into:
- Travel times on the various branches of the roundabout
- Average speeds
- Delays during peak hours
- Traffic patterns throughout the day
The results were automatically displayed in clear graphs and visualizations. In particular, the combination of travel time graphs and delay overviews gave us a quick and transparent understanding of the traffic situation.
Evidence for Infrastructural Bottlenecks
Thanks to the data from ODIQ, we were able to support our research not just descriptively, but analytically. The measurements show that the roundabout no longer functions optimally at current traffic intensities. Significant delays occur, particularly during rush hour. This confirms that the current layout no longer fully aligns with the traffic flows the area experiences today.
This data formed a crucial basis for our conclusions and recommendations within our graduation thesis.
An Accessible and User-Friendly Platform
A major advantage we experienced is that ODIQ is entirely web-based. This allowed us to access our measurements and analyses from anywhere, making our research process much more flexible. Setting up measurements and interpreting the results was clear and intuitive.
A Valuable Tool for Traffic Research
As Civil Engineering students, ODIQ offered us a practical and accessible way to analyze real-world traffic flows and draw well-founded conclusions. It helped us strengthen our graduation research with concrete data and visual insights.
Despite not specializing in traffic engineering, we were able to work with the platform quickly and effectively.
