How VMZ Berlin and TomTom are helping to reduce traffic-based pollution in German cities

One of VMZ Berlin’s clients, the German city of Würzburg, was looking for ways to influence traffic management, making mobility smarter, with the goal of reducing NO2 emissions. Unlike other cities who tried to solve the emission problem by banning diesel cars, Wurzburg wanted to find a different solution.

The city’s aim was to make roads less congested, minimize opportunities for drivers to accelerate unnecessarily and reduce traffic during peak hours. In short, it was looking to introduce an environmentally friendly traffic management system as part of its broader Green City Plan – aimed at promoting sustainable, emission-free mobility.

In 2019, VMZ Berlin came on board and kicked off a pilot project. The concept was to calculate traffic situations based on measured travel times according to the Handbook Emission Factors for Road Transport. Building upon these measures, current emissions and immersions of NO2 are calculated. This data directly influences the traffic light pre-emption in cities. New technology that VMZ Berlin is using is real-time traffic data to optimize traffic signals in real-time. The traffic signals have real-time monitoring constantly checking what is the best way to organize traffic. These signals make sure the wait time for all is reduced to a minimum while also trying to limit the time vehicles are running idle. As a result, there has been a big impact on urban traffic management, as it can reduce delays, pollution and improve traffic flow. These measures are being taken when high pollution levels are to be expected.

For Würzburg, planning and implementation of its environmentally friendly traffic management system is still in progress. While the project is not yet complete, all indications point to a successful outcome. VMZ Berlin has also launched a similar project with the city of Ludwigshafen, in southwest Germany – helping more drivers save time on their journeys, improving traffic flows and cutting emissions.

Thought leaders in innovative cities are always looking for ways to making mobility smarter, with the goal of making their cities safer and cleaner. Together, VMZ Berlin mobility solutions and TomTom location data are working toward this noble goal.