SmartVMS Transforms East Auckland Travel with Real-Time Solutions

Smart City NZ’s Innovative SmartVMS Delivers Live Travel Updates for Cars and Public Transport, Elevating Commuter Decision-Making

Overview

Following the recent closure of Reeves Road, drivers in East Auckland have encountered challenges in predicting travel times, particularly around the busy Pakuranga Plaza area. A customer research initiative conducted last year as part of the Eastern Busway Alliance Customer Experience (CX) program highlighted the increasing need for Auckland Transport and project teams to implement solutions that provide accurate, real-time travel information. These insights revealed that commuters are seeking greater certainty to make informed decisions about their journeys.

In response, Eastern Busway and Auckland Transport partnered with Smart City NZ to create a cutting-edge solution. Smart City NZ developed Smart Variable Message Signs (SmartVMS) that display live travel times for different modes of transport, including cars and various public transit options. This innovative system allows commuters to view real-time, side-by-side travel times, helping them choose the quickest or most convenient route. By offering up-to-the-minute updates, SmartVMS empowers travelers to plan their journeys with confidence, ensuring a smoother experience during the disruption. This solution represents another industry milestone for Smart City NZ, setting a new standard for dynamic, real-time transport information.

The Challenge

Smart City was tasked with addressing a critical challenge in the Pakuranga region—reducing traffic congestion by encouraging the public to shift from using private cars to public transport. With increasing urbanisation and daily traffic bottlenecks, finding a sustainable, real-time solution was paramount to easing the strain on arterial routes. The objective was to utilise dynamic SmartVMS (Variable Message Signs) to display accurate travel-time information, helping commuters make informed choices on the fastest and most efficient modes of transport.

The solution, however, had to meet several key criteria. It needed to be cost-effective, mobile, accurate, and easy to deploy, allowing for quick and flexible installation across various high-traffic areas. Smart City also had to consider the ideal positions for signage to ensure maximum visibility and public engagement. Another significant technical challenge was ensuring the solar-powered VMS would maintain 100% functionality during winter months, despite limited sunlight. Smart City’s approach had to address all these challenges simultaneously, while also aligning with broader public transportation goals.

The Solution

Smart City developed an innovative in-house, end-to-end SmartVMS solution by integrating multiple hardware and software components into a single, adaptable platform. This holistic approach streamlined data management, reduced costs, and ensured a seamless user experience. A key factor in Smart City's success was leveraging existing infrastructure. By utilising the EBA network's pre-installed travel-time sensors in Pakuranga, Smart City significantly cut deployment time and data costs by eliminating the need for new installations.

For arterial routes to the CBD, Smart City employed a Big Data-driven approach, analyzing crowd-sourced data over six months to refine real-time travel-time predictions. This approach maintained accuracy while keeping costs low by using existing road user data. To enhance user experience, Smart City partnered with Auckland Transport’s public transport API, enabling SmartVMS to display real-time public transport and car travel times. The signs prioritised the fastest travel option, encouraging public transport use when it provided a quicker route.

Strategically placing the VMS signs at key decision points allowed commuters to make informed travel choices, and Smart City ensured year-round functionality by incorporating robust energy storage and optimising solar-powered units for uninterrupted performance, even during low-sunlight winter months.

53%

Results

Smart City's electronic roadside Variable Message Signs (VMS) had significant visibility, with two in five residents reporting having seen the signs. Half of Howick residents and one in three from Maungakiekie-Tāmaki and Ōrākei had encountered the signs. Commuters who used cars, buses, walked, or cycled weekly had around 50% visibility, while three in ten less frequent drivers also noticed the VMS signs.

Public Perception:

Feedback was largely positive, with two-thirds of viewers holding favorable opinions of the VMS signs. Only 9% expressed negative views, with slightly more negative feedback from Howick residents, though favorable opinions remained dominant across regions and travel modes.

Views are generally very positive/positive toward the SmartVMS:

Positive Feedback Highlights

Informed decision-making:

The signs helped commuters decide whether to alter routes or plans when travel times were longer than anticipated.

Public Perception:

The signs provided clear, factual, and up-to-date travel information that helped people plan their journeys effectively.

Public Perception:

Signs were located at key decision points, ensuring commuters could make informed travel decisions.

Public Perception:

Commuters valued knowing traffic flow and potential delays, reducing stress and allowing them to adjust accordingly.

Negative Feedback Highlights

The 9% who viewed the signs negatively primarily cited issues such as difficulty reading, distraction, and perceived inaccuracy or irrelevance of the information.

Key Insights from Data (Image Summary)

The most common positive feedback centered on the signs’ ability to help inform route changes and provide real-time information.

Other benefits included setting expectations for traffic flow and indicating travel times to reduce uncertainty.

The chart further highlights that a smaller segment of respondents appreciated the signs for helping to predict delays and better manage their commute time.

Overall, Smart City's VMS signs were a successful tool for improving commuter experiences, helping them make more informed travel decisions based on real-time traffic updates.