Last week, Ghent hosted cycling enthusiasts at Velo-city 2024, where all things cycling were celebrated, from research to practice to fun, data, and, of course, safety. With a consolidated cycling culture, Ghent was the perfect stage for PHOEBE to connect with the cycling community.

The PHOEBE Project has reached a significant milestone with the completion of its deliverable ‘New and Enhanced Models/Simulation Environments and User Support Materials (Beta ed.)‘, which marks a crucial step forward in the project’s objectives.  

The Beta edition is an interim deliverable that explores the current stage of the technological development of the PHOEBE components theoretically presented in Deliverable 1.2. A subsequent deliverable will show the complete documentation for each component and the integration protocols.

Building upon the groundwork laid in Deliverable 2.1 and the design concepts outlined in D4.1, D3.1 combines the documentation of the preparation and development of the PHOEBE framework models, simulation environments, and user support materials primed for testing within the PHOEBE use cases. Specifically, it includes the preparation of several aspects for integration into the AIMSUN traffic simulation environment, including: 

• Mode shift and induced demand models facilitate dynamic outputs within the PHOEBE framework, reflecting fluctuations in traffic flow and speed. 
• Human behavioural models to enhance the understanding of user interactions and decision-making processes. 
• Road safety assessment model enhancements, including refined data segmentation and dynamic risk ratings based on variable speed and flows. 
• Upgrades to the ‘AIMSUN Next’ simulation environment, aimed at improving simulation accuracy and realism. 
• Moreover, the deliverable outlines integration procedures and strategies for representing behavioural changes and induced demand in simulation scenarios, highlighting the project’s commitment to addressing complex urban mobility challenges. 

Amidst these advancements, two critical lessons have emerged: 

Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) Remain Central to Urban Safety:  

It is firmly established that VRUs constitute the cornerstone of safety in urban environments. However, the PHOEBE project team has encountered numerous barriers in properly evaluating their safety. These obstacles range from the absence of dedicated data and the need to enhance models for these users to a lack of studies in specific fields. There is still much to be developed in the realm of VRU safety. PHOEBE’s role is to address the gaps in the project’s scope and highlight others for the road safety community.  

Data Emerges as a Core Pillar:  

Data is the backbone of the PHOEBE project, driving both model development and calibration/validation processes. However, navigating data complexities, including access, compliance, and processing, poses significant challenges. Project partners actively map data sources and develop guidelines to streamline data utilization within the framework, facilitating broader adoption and applicability. 

The PHOEBE consortium met in Brussels last week to further discuss upcoming project plans and answer all questions of the European Commission in the framework of a mid-term review meeting in combination with a two-day exchange of all PHOEBE partners. These three fruitful days from 11-13 June helped to advance the pilot planning, integration of models and to discuss last details concerning the PHOEBE framework. The consortium will meet again from 3-5 December in Valencia to visit the streets and cycling paths, which are utilised for the safety assessment. This upcoming meeting will also be dedicated to a full day of exchange with our ‘Community of Practice’, who will have the chance to visit the PHOEBE test sites.

Main takeaways from our consortium meeting

Besides the preparation of the review meeting, as well as discussions about project communication, the two main highlights were technical workshops on the integration of additional safety measures into the PHOEBE framework, the further alignment of data between AIMSUN and iRAP, as well as the definition of an overall implementation strategy for the upcoming months. Additionally, a timeline for the technical exchange and integration was set. All three pilot sites of Athens, Valencia, and the West Midlands gave detailed updates about the planned interventions, data gathering efforts, and the status of cooperation with local stakeholders.

What was the verdict of the first review meeting?

Taking into consideration that the discussions between the European Commission (EC) and our PHOEBE project are confidential, one can conclude that the overall feedback from the EC was positive, since challenges and potential risks and their mitigation strategies were discussed very openly by the consortium. Several organisational aspects of financial reporting and administrative cooperation were the dominating topics of the exchange. Overall, PHOEBE thanks the EC for the fruitful interaction and feedback.

What is currently happening in PHOEBE?

Besides our participation in the VeloCity Conference in Ghent (BE), other communication activities are planned for the summer, including a press release, the publication of our third newsletter, as well as first planning meetings for the Valencia meeting and an engaging programme for our Community of Practice.