Sofia will soon have the first two automated bicycle counting stations for bicycles moving in the city. Previous data came either from manual counting at key locations by volunteers or from survey results among citizens. Data on the number of bicycles in cities is used to help plan and develop urban infrastructure and traffic organization. In Europe, bicycle counting stations have proven to raise awareness of this mode of transport, lead to increased safety and tolerance on the roads, and encourage more people to use their bicycles. Good data also ensures policy transparency and civic participation. The first two bicycle counting stations will be developed by students at the Technical University of Sofia and the Technical University of Gabrovo. The Sofia Development Association and the Municipality of Sofia, in partnership with TU-Sofia and TU-Gabrovo, announced a challenge to develop an automated bicycle counting station. Winning projects will receive funding to become working prototypes to be installed near the main bike lanes in Sofia. The competition gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in practice and showcase their talent by proposing solutions for more sustainable transport and cleaner air in Sofia. The competition is held within the INOEAR project, the first and only project from Bulgaria co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the "Innovative Actions for Urban Development" initiative. The project introduces on-demand public transport for the first time in Europe, as well as the first low-emission zone, green corridors, and the SofiaCoin mobile app with rewards for active transport in Sofia and Bulgaria. However, sustainable urban mobility has many more dimensions. "Automated bicycle counting will inevitably be necessary in the future, so it is important to start it together with future engineers. I hope this will be not only beneficial for the city but also a career springboard for young specialists, whom Sofia strongly needs," said Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of the Municipality of Sofia. "Competitions like this, in which students with the help of their teachers not only seek solutions to real cases but also have the chance to turn them into real products and services, demonstrate the link between higher education, local government, and industry. The competition helped us develop new partnerships." Prof. Dr. Eng. Iliya Slavov Zhelezarov, Rector, Technical University of Gabrovo. You can follow up-to-date information about the competitions on the Facebook event.
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Actualno.com, 22.04.2022.
