New sensors monitor traffic in the Vale

The detectors at Rue du Bordeaux, pictured by douzenier Terry Ashworth

Technically, the RoadPod® VM-I are permanently embedded, solar-powered magnetometers that deliver reliable, real-time traffic monitoring and have been installed by Traffic & Highway Services to help it make evidence-based decisions for potential developments and generally providing a better understanding of the capacities of main routes.

The devices, in pairs of three in the centre of each carriageway, have appeared at six locations across the island, Vazon, Les Banques, Vale Road, La Grande Rue, Braye Road and Rue des Bordeaux, the Guernsey Press reported.

Apparently, these have been in use for some time but questions were asked after the new ones appeared and were noticed by more people.

Real time
The RoadPod VM-I sensor counts vehicles, monitors speeds, and classifies vehicles by length in real-time, which it then transmits to a cloud-based databank. The sensors are 100% off-grid, powered by a high-efficiency built-in solar panel and an internal battery.

The information they provide could help shape the future of the new homes and businesses in the island, which has particular relevance for the north, where hundreds of new homes are planned.

‘These locations were chosen with the potential development of the surrounding areas in mind,’ Laura Oxburgh, head of on-island travel and transport implementation, told the newspaper.

‘There is a need to have this data available to help make better evidence-based decisions when looking at our local road infrastructure,' she said.