“Traffic gridlock is a huge concern of residents and businesses. Sherbrooke has created a system where drivers, transit employees, the police and the media can access the latest information in real time and avoid taking one detour only to find another detour. This shows how Sherbrooke is on the path to digital transformation,” said Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada.
Previously, the City’s picture of projects and events affecting traffic was incomplete. Information came from several sources—including various municipal services responsible for the works on roads and reconstruction of underground infrastructure as well as telecom companies. Information was processed and distributed without cohesion. Records were duplicated, increasing the risk of errors; and there was no centralized source of up-to-date road obstruction information that the public could access at any time.
The City used ArcGIS technology to develop several web applications (without coding or purchasing new materials). Now, project information from field crews can be entered and shared. This also allows public works managers to view projects planned or underway and to better plan repair/maintenance work. Updating of information is easier for all contributors and the dissemination of information has been automated. Every 15 minutes, an email is sent to different city partners (public safety, public transportation and media agencies) with information on new road obstructions. The public can view road obstructions and recommended detours through an interactive map.
“This is an innovation entirely developed by our staff and of which I am extremely proud. It will help us to better manage our road projects. Many cities will surely want to take inspiration from it,” commented Mayor Steve Lussier.
The next phase of work includes adding all the other municipal departments that generate traffic data and automated information transmission from other systems and partners (for example, the Ministry of Transportation).
Learn more about ArcGIS at esri.ca/arcgis.
About Ville de Sherbrooke, PQ
Sherbrooke is a city in southern Québec. It is a significant cultural, industrial and academic hub in the province. Three railways, four highways and a regional airport serve the city. There are eight institutions educating 40,000 students and employing 11,000 people. The direct economic impact of these institutions exceeds 1 billion dollars. In proportion to its population, Sherbrooke has the largest concentration of students in Québec. With 165,859 residents (Official Québec Gazette, December 27, 2017), it is the sixth largest city in Québec. For more information, visit sherbrooke.ca/en/.
About Esri Canada
Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower people in business, government and education to make informed and timely decisions by leveraging the power of mapping and spatial analytics. These solutions enable organizations to better manage their resources, plan their future and collaborate within and beyond their organization. Esri Canada’s products and services help advance successful digital transformation. The company serves 12,000 organizations from 16 offices across Canada and is based in Toronto. In 2015, Esri Canada became a Gold Standard winner of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and in 2016 was named one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures. More information can be found at esri.ca. Follow Esri Canada on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn.
