Engineering consultancy Atkins has signed a global partnership agreement with transportation analytics firm INRIX to use mass data to improve transport planning and help build smart highways.
The agreement will give Atkins’ engineers and project managers access to a number of INRIX platforms, allowing traffic information from millions of miles of roads to improve master planning, influence the design phase of transport modelling, and meet the demands of new intelligent mobility opportunities.
Atkins said improved insights into the way people travel could help reduce congestion and improve air quality in cities.
Lee Woodcock, Atkins global product director for intelligent mobility, said: ‘From new smart highways enabling connected and autonomous vehicles to designing the latest masterplans we are now able to provide a hybrid of our people’s expertise combined with the rich data insights from INRIX. By fusing the two together, we provide a globally progressive offering into the intelligent mobility and infrastructure sector.’
Scott Sedlik, general manager, global public sector at INRIX, added: ‘Atkins recognises there is a growing need for tools to identify trends when planning, monitoring, assessing and communicating the performance of transportation networks. This partnership enables Atkins’ project teams to carry out groundbreaking analysis that will not only improve urban mobility but also help drive cost efficiencies for their clients.’
Atkins said it has already been applying INRIX data on several projects including using its real-time traffic flow data in the UK to provide improved insight on travel times for large infrastructure projects.
The INRIX platforms Atkins will have access to are XD Traffic, which delivers real-time traffic information across five million miles of road in over 47 countries; INRIX Roadway Analytics, which gives access to in-depth roadway performance analysis and visualisations; and INRIX Trips, which provides insights into the movement of people and the journeys they make.