The Challenge
The Pyrénées Orientales department needed a reliable system to:
- Monitor cycling trends across diverse environments, from roads with mixed traffic to dedicated greenways
- Collect accurate data to inform infrastructure development decisions
- Share cycling data with various stakeholders including government departments, elected officials, and cycling organisations
- Establish both temporary and permanent monitoring points
The Solution
Pyrénées-Orientales implemented MetroCount’s bicycle counting technology through a strategic mix of temporary and permanent deployments. Temporary counters were installed on roads and greenways for periodic assessments, while five permanent counters were installed to monitor diverse traffic environments, including:
- One on a departmental road shared by vehicles and bicycles
- Four on dedicated greenways
The department selected a combination of tube and piezoelectric sensors, which proved well-suited for their primarily non-urban monitoring locations.
"MetroCount's bicycle counting system provides us with reliable data that's essential for both our infrastructure planning and communication with stakeholders. The equipment has proven particularly well-suited for our non-urban monitoring needs, and the support we've received has been excellent."
- Christelle Caillot, Technician for Cycle Routes, Mobility Infrastructure and Environment.
Implementation
The MetroCount system was deployed in 2021 and has been continuously expanded since then. Installation was reported as "clean and efficient," with the equipment proving particularly appropriate for the department's rural and semi-rural monitoring needs.
The department collects and analyses various cycling metrics:
- Annual traffic volumes
- Monthly and weekly distribution patterns
- Hourly traffic profiles
- Peak day identification for each period
- Year-over-year comparisons
This data-driven approach has strengthened stakeholder engagement by providing concrete evidence of cycling trends to government departments, elected officials, and cycling advocacy groups, creating a shared foundation for collaborative planning efforts.
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