Cycle through green lights faster with the Schwung app
Encourage cycling
The municipality of Haarlemmermeer will grow significantly in the coming years. To shape this growth in a sustainable way, the municipality wants to encourage the use of bicycles. Cycling is not only a way to get around, but also provides pleasure and contributes to both physical and mental health. That is why the municipality will be making concrete improvements to the cycling network and associated facilities in the coming years.
One of those associated facilities is Schwung; a solution that ensures that you as a cyclist are more likely to be seen at the traffic light via an app. A user who has installed the Schwung app on his or her smartphone therefore has a greater chance of getting the green light sooner.
Starting shot
At some locations in the municipality, bicycle flow can be improved, such as at the Kruisweg / Paxlaan / Burgemeester Pabstlaan intersection. That is why traffic councilor Marja Ruigrok gave the 'starting signal' for the Schwung pilot at that location by bicycle.
Councilor Ruigrok: “We want residents and visitors to continue to be able to exercise comfortably in the future. We like to give the bicycle plenty of space. The Schwung app helps with this. Hopefully this will convince more people to leave their car at home more often and get on their bike.”
Advantages Schwung
Users of the Schwung app have an earlier chance of getting a green light at the connected intersections. They do not have priority over other road users, but they are detected earlier. Other advantages: you can cycle more often and don't have to wait as long. The Schwung app works 'self-learning'. For example, if someone cycles to the gym every Monday evening around 18 p.m. via the same route, Schwung recognizes this as a favorite route of the user. The app can then request the green light earlier at the relevant Schwung intersection(s), for the correct direction of travel.
Privacy
Members of the municipal council have asked questions about privacy and the use of data in the app. To use the app it is necessary to share the location. The app sends this information anonymously, making it impossible to trace the information to a person or a telephone. The user is therefore an anonymous cyclist and therefore cannot be followed individually. To prevent misuse of the app, the app works with so-called 'Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)'. By confirming the phone number, the app knows that the user is a person and not a robot. The phone number is no longer used for anything by the app.
Schwung intersections Haarlemmermeer
Schwung is being used in more and more places in the Netherlands, including Apeldoorn, Deventer, 's-Hertogenbosch, Almere, Breda, Emmen, Lelystad, Noordoostpolder and the Provinces of Flevoland and Utrecht.
In Haarlemmermeer the app can be used at the following intersections:
Mayor of Stamweg / Hoofdweg Oostzijde
Main roads / Venneperweg / Dorpstraat
Kruisweg / Paxlaan / Burgemeester Pabstlaan
Main road East side / Grain voor Visch (Weg-A) / Paxlaan
Bennebroekerweg / Rijnlanderweg
Main roads / Zuiderdreef
Main roads / Noorderdreef
Van Heuven Goedhartlaan / Altenburg / Asserweg
Van Heuven Goedhartlaan / Haya v. Somerensingel
Van Heuven Goedhartlaan / Little Belt
Van Heuven Goedhartlaan / Sont
Van Heuven Goedhartlaan / Grote Belt
Van Heuven Goedhartlaan / Kruisweg - West / Zuidtangent (near fire station)
Fokkerweg / Koolhovenlaan
Taurusavenue / Rijnlanderweg
Schipholweg / Oleanderlaan / Groene-AS
In the coming period, the municipality will monitor the green requests from the Schwung app. If the application of this solution proves to be a success, its installation will be further expanded by Haarlemmermeer.