Bike Paths Under the Microscope: Austria Launches High-Tech Survey

Cycling in Austria is to become safer and more comfortable. The Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the competence center ITS Vienna Region are currently developing a new method for the objective recording of cycling infrastructure on behalf of the Traffic Safety Fund (VSF). The goal is a nationwide uniform data basis for safe, user-friendly, and continuous cycling routes.

Data on bike paths has been incomplete so far

Currently, the condition of bike paths is only incompletely documented. Different standards in the federal states lead to unclear, sometimes contradictory surveys. "For safe cycling for all age groups, high-quality infrastructure is needed," it says in a release. This includes sufficient width, good maintenance, continuous routing, and intuitive usability.

BikeStar records bike paths with sensors

In the "InfraRad" project, a standardized survey catalog is being developed in collaboration with actors from administration, planning, and research. "A key cornerstone is the definition of uniform criteria and survey methods," says project manager Karin Markvica.

The central tool is the AIT measurement bicycle "BikeStar": a three-wheeled cargo bike equipped with 3D cameras, LiDAR laser scanner, and sensors for capturing movement, surface, visibility conditions, and temperature. This allows for the objective documentation of road width, gradient, surface, and traffic signs, among other things.

Integration into the digital traffic network

The collected data is to be automatically analyzed – for example, to detect damage or assess riding comfort. In the long term, the information will be integrated into Austria's digital traffic network (GIP) to provide authorities and planners with uniform, reliable foundations.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.