Case Study: Permanent Traffic Monitoring Supports Smarter Event Traffic Management in Remenham
Overview - Understanding Traffic Pressures During Major Summer Events
Every summer, the parish of Remenham, near Henley-on-Thames, welcomes thousands of visitors attending world-renowned events such as the Henley Royal Regatta and Rewind Festival. While these events bring significant benefits to the local area, they also place considerable pressure on the parish’s rural road network
Temporary road closures, one-way systems and access restrictions become necessary to manage the influx of traffic. Several routes can experience severe congestion and, at peak times, gridlock.
To support future traffic management decisions, the parish council recognised the need for permanent, reliable traffic monitoring rather than relying on occasional manual surveys
Supporting Active Travel Initiatives
Alongside managing vehicle movements, local authorities are increasingly focused on supporting Active Travel initiatives that encourage walking, cycling and wheeling as preferred choices for local journeys
The Challenge:
The parish required an accurate, year-round understanding of traffic movements to:
- Measure normal traffic volumes before the event season.
- Quantify the impact of major summer events.
- Provide objective evidence to the local authority and police.
- Support future traffic management and infrastructure planning.
- Monitor both vehicle and cycle movements across the parish.
Traditional traffic surveys only provided snapshots in time, making it difficult to build a complete picture of changing traffic patterns throughout the year.
The Solutions
To deliver continuous traffic intelligence, Truvelo installed a network of Traffic Counters at strategic locations across the parish.
The initial deployment included:
- Traffic Counter on Remenham Church Lane
- Traffic Counter on Aston Lane
- Bike Counter on the Thames Towpath
Truvelo’s Traffic Counters use advanced radar technology to detect and classify road users without requiring intrusive road sensors or loops. As all solutions are off-grid solar and battery powered, they can be installed quickly and easily at any location, with the flexibility to be relocated to different sites as monitoring requirements change.
Multiple traffic counters and Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs) can be connected to a central web-based reporting and analysis platform, providing a single view of traffic data, enabling easier monitoring and decision-making.
Together, these features provide a flexible, scalable traffic monitoring solution that delivers reliable, continuous data while minimising installation time and disruption.
Key Features:
- Radar-based vehicle detection
- No road cutting or intrusive sensors required
- Quick and simple installation
- Integrated modem and SIM for remote communications
- Continuous traffic monitoring throughout the year
- Secure remote download of traffic data
- Reliable performance in all weather conditions
Because every unit is connected remotely, traffic data can be accessed whenever required without visiting the site.
Delivering Actionable Data
The permanent monitoring network now enables the parish council to compare traffic patterns throughout the year, including:
- Normal day-to-day traffic
- Build-up to major events
- Peak event traffic
- Post-event recovery
The collected data provides valuable evidence that can be shared with local councils, police and other stakeholders to support informed decision-making.
In addition to monitoring vehicle movements, the dedicated Bike Counter records cycle activity along the Thames towpath, helping the parish better understand active travel patterns alongside vehicle traffic.
Benefits:
The traffic counters installation has delivered several important advantages:
- Continuous Monitoring - Year-round traffic data collection.
- Better Planning - Reliable data supports future traffic management.
- Faster Access to Information - Download data anytime without site visits.
- Quick Installation - Radar technology requires no road closures or intrusive sensors.
- Informed Decisions – Accurate data provides evidence for councils, police and event organisers.
Conclusion
The Truvelo Traffic Counters provide Remenham
Parish Council with continuous, accurate traffic
data, enabling better-informed decisions and
more effective planning for major events and
future traffic management.
Download the Remenham case study here:
