Paris Buses Analyze Commuter Behaviors

French public transport operator RATP is working with mobility data platform Vianova to analyze behaviors and sidewalk usage in Paris.

The Vianova platform will use insights from curb activities to minimize bus lane congestion and transform curb usage in the French capital, one of Europe's most densely populated urban centers.

The Paris bus network is one of the biggest in the world, with logistics vehicles, micromobility, and taxis putting pressure on bus lanes and causing congestion.

Within Paris, RATP manages 355 bus routes and 4,700 vehicles, putting the organization in a prime position to collect relevant data. 

The emergence of new forms of mobility and delivery services, as well as changes in infrastructure, such as the creation of cycling lanes or the repurposing of parking spots to meet other needs, has led to changes in how public transport operators manage and delegate road infrastructure.

Vianova will enable RATP to utilize data from connected vehicles to understand better how the curb is used and how traffic across the city flows.

The public transport operator is experimenting with smart cameras and sensors on its buses to detect vehicles in real-time.

The generated data is then fed back to Vianova’s platform, allowing the RATP to visualize and capture insights on curb usage, which can benefit key stakeholders and inform policy and planning.

The project with Vianova builds on RATP's work with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on curb management, using artificial intelligence (AI) cameras on board to analyze road users.

Pauline Baudry, urban ecosystem program manager at RATP, said: “By using technology, we can produce insights on the dynamics of the city. Working with Vianova enables us to analyze and visualize data in an impactful way, revealing insightful patterns of mobility and [curb] usage.”

Image credit: iStockphoto/Bruno Giuliani