ITRN presentation and first glimpse of GPS data

news
gps
Author

James Green

Published

September 1, 2023

Today we had a short overview of the study at the Irish Research Transport Network Conference. Our talk included the design and scope of the project, but we’ve also snuck our first GPS data snippets.

Title powerpoint slide for the talk, with a black and white image of a bike

We’ve been working on our wealth of GPS data, and while we are working on the anonymisation, we can share an exciting nibbles. In this GPS heat map, you can see this strange pattern. Why are people choosing to bike these ways, and not the route marked in red?

GPS heat map showing a winding path, and a more obvious route indicated by a red arrow

And the answer is: Because the new IDA cycle lanes end abruptly, so people are cutting through the technology park carpark, rather than spilling out onto a 60km/h road!

Streetview image showing footpath and cycle lane abruptly ending, and a more obvious route via a carpark


We are also working to identify where people are parking on campus, in the city, and at suburban shops, to identify where there is unmet parking demand, and also looking at what routes are popular , both those that have cycle infrastructure and those that don’t. Stay tuned!