What is Telraam?

Traffic counts as key data

Rat-run traffic, air pollution and road safety are all urgent, current issues. Traffic counts are an essential basis for any lasting solutions. Measurements which record not only cars, but also heavy vehicles, public transport, cyclists and pedestrians are necessary. Counting is currently expensive, limited in time, and rarely records all forms of transport.

New technology offers possibilities for innovative ways of measuring in a continuous, multimodal, dense and efficient way. Citizen science air-quality metering projects such as Luftdaten paved the way.

Citizen Science fills blind spots

Until now traffic counts have been a blind spot. Telraam is actively working to involve citizens and provide good traffic counts. Telraam handles the research work and the technology. Citizens supply the data.

Participants monitor traffic in their street, and at the same time help to provide local public authorities with good traffic counts. The data can be used to make infrastructure, traffic light and traffic management plans more efficient and more effective.

How does Telraam work?

Telraam develops reliable, high-tech measuring and monitoring equipment that is made available to interested citizens, either individually or in networks, who set up their own fully automatic traffic counters. These are mounted in street-facing windows, and traffic counting starts.

That, in a nutshell, is Telraam.

All the collected measurements are made available for policymaking and research, but also to all residents and interested parties.

How does the Telraam device work?

The Telraam device is a custom combination of a Raspberry Pi microcomputer, sensors and a low-resolution camera. The device is mounted on the inside of an upper-floor window with a view over the street. All that is needed in order to send the traffic count data to the central database is a continuous Wi-Fi connection and a power outlet within reach. Once set up, the device runs independently and continuously.

Want to start counting local traffic?

Do you want a Telraam device of your own? Take a look at ‘Start Counting’ and discover where Telraam is already counting. Find out how you can join an existing network, or even how to set up your own counting network.