Philippines city improves traffic management with Firetide mesh network infrastructure
Sep 15, 2014
Traffic management is a constant struggle for many cities, as officials attempt to regulate the flow of vehicles while monitoring specific areas as well. When officials in Makati City, Philippines, needed a solution to help bolster their abilities in this arena, they turned to Firetide and its mesh network solution.
Makati City’s CCTV Network Project team sought a system that would have the bandwidth capacity to support five camera clusters at a number of major intersections throughout the metropolis. The solution would also need to be interoperable with the established fiber technology at specific sites without impacting the system’s performance. Furthermore, Makati also needed technology that could be deployed quickly and would deliver a minimum of downtime and service interruption during installation.
After researching their available options, Firetide emerged as the only provider that could support the city’s requirements. The Firetide solution implemented in Makati City utilized the company’s innovative AutoMesh network infrastructure design, offering a foundation for the 100+ traffic management and monitoring cameras, in addition to wireless backhaul.
Before Firetide: Struggles with traffic management
Prior to installing the Firetide wireless mesh network infrastructure, city officials faced numerous challenges in the management and surveillance of its pedestrian and vehicle traffic. On an average day in Makati, authorities estimated that over 600,000 cars and trucks make their way through the downtown region.
Due to the increase in multinational and local business presence in Makati, traffic congestion reached a crucial tipping point that required the issue to be addressed immediately. The financial district in Makati City alone saw traffic congestion during peak rush hours that saw vehicles taking 30 minutes to an hour to travel the same distance as it would take a pedestrian to walk in 15 to 20 minutes.
Phased installation: City sees positive results
After selecting Firetide for the deployment of the city’s wireless mesh network infrastructure, officials decided on a phased implementation of the new technology. The first phase saw the installation of cameras in four major avenues, with the launch of cameras in other areas following from this point.
Ariel Dela Cruz, Facilities Protection Inc. president and Firetide Premier Partner, noted that the Firetide AutoMesh system was best suited for the city’s needs as it allows users to view clear, uninterrupted video feeds from the Makati City Command Center.
“Since the new city system was placed into service, city administrators have been able to respond to accidents immediately and take steps to mitigate congestion by providing live traffic updates to city residents and workers via the Web and social media,” Dela Cruz noted.
In addition to viewing continuous video feeds of each monitored intersection, officials can also zoom, pan and tilt the cameras as needed. Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay Jr. noted that while the main objective of the new technology was to provide traffic congestion management and monitoring capabilities, the cutting-edge wireless network supporting the solution offers other benefits for the city as well.
“For example, during the recent typhoon Maring and monsoon rains, we were able to better monitor the flooded areas of the city and make decisions to evacuate residents and save lives,” Binay Jr. said.