Santa Cruz de Tenerife wants technology to play a much greater role in the way traffic is managed in the capital. During a meeting on intelligent transport systems this week, several projects were presented that aim to improve traffic flow, make parking easier and organise deliveries to shops more efficiently. For residents and visitors, these plans could become increasingly visible in everyday city life over the coming years.
Smarter loading and unloading
One of the most important new projects is a digital platform for the urban distribution of goods. The Spanish public company Red.es has selected the project as part of the RedCyTI programme. Funding of €1.6 million has been allocated for its development.
The system is intended, among other things, to help organise loading and unloading activities in the city digitally. This is particularly important in commercial areas, where delivery vans and lorries regularly have to share limited space with cars, taxis, buses and pedestrians. By having a clearer picture of where and when deliveries take place, the city council hopes to make more efficient use of public space.
Traffic lights respond to traffic
Traditional traffic lights could also become smarter in the future. Santa Cruz is working on systems in which the duration of green and red lights is not determined solely by a fixed schedule, but can be adjusted according to actual traffic conditions.
The system takes into account both the number of vehicles and pedestrian movements. The aim is to adapt waiting times more effectively to traffic levels while also improving road safety.
The city council is also studying technology that can detect excessive speeds in real time and use traffic lights to respond accordingly.
Check parking availability in advance
Another practical aspect concerns parking information. At Las Teresitas, a digital system is already in place that allows drivers to check how full the parking areas are. Similar technology is eventually expected to provide information on available spaces in underground car parks in Santa Cruz.
This could be particularly useful for visitors. Those who can see in advance that a car park is almost full may spend less time driving through the city centre looking for an available space.
The city also has a digital model of its urban public transport system. This can be used to analyse how the network operates and to study possible improvements.
Buses are also being renewed
Technology is only one part of the city’s mobility policy. According to the city council, almost €30 million is being invested in renewing the urban bus fleet. This will include more modern and less polluting vehicles that are also better adapted to people with reduced mobility.
Around twenty experts attended the meeting in Santa Cruz, together with representatives from cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Elche and Granada. The Government of the Canary Islands and the Tenerife Island Council were also represented.
The various projects mainly show how the capital increasingly wants to manage traffic using real-time data. For motorists, bus passengers and pedestrians, this means that traffic lights, parking facilities and public transport are likely to function less and less as separate systems in the future.
Photo: AI ChatGPT
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