Ericeira is a seaside town on the western coast of Portugal. The tourist and surfing destination has a population of about 10,000 which rises in the summer season. The Municipal Council of Mafra, the local government body for the region, saw that the increase in traffic during the summer needed monitoring and controlling to reduce congestion and the risk of accidents.
A national road, 247, is the main through route for the town and, therefore, is priority for intelligent traffic management. At marked crossings where traffic will stop for pedestrians, congestion was particularly acute. The council wanted a solution that would prevent static, inefficient traffic and could adapt to changes in vehicle and pedestrian flow. A local installer Soltrafego made a detailed technical study that identified the need for intelligent video surveillance and traffic analysis. The video surveillance product firm Hanwha Vision was chosen.
Monitoring congestion
Cameras were installed at signal-controlled intersections, with four QNO-C8083R AI cameras installed per intersection. Two were positioned to monitor traffic in both directions, and the other two covered pedestrian areas. Entry and exit zones were set up to monitor vehicle flow, counting the number of vehicles and sending this volume data to traffic light controllers. Traffic light red and green intervals would be automatically adjusted according to detected traffic density.
Two virtual zones on each side of the pedestrian crossings were set up on the other two cameras to monitor the number of people waiting in those areas. When the number of people reaches a pre-defined threshold, the pedestrian green light is triggered, and traffic is stopped to prevent overcrowding at the waiting area and ensure a safe crossing for pedestrians.
Traffic and pedestrians
Thanks to the intelligent traffic solution, vehicle and pedestrian movements in Ericeira have improved, especially during the summer, says the council. Optimised traffic light timing based on real-time, dynamic data from the QNO-C8083R cameras avoids unnecessary delays and lowers the risk of accidents at the crossing points where the cameras are installed. Automating traffic light and pedestrian crossing controls meets actual demand without manual input. The cameras were installed within existing infrastructure, requiring no extensive construction or physical alterations. The data collected by the cameras can be used to inform future town improvements, and the installation has become a model for other towns in the area.
