If you live in Cardiff, living on a traffic sewer and have a mind for science, I think I may have an experiment for you.
WeCount is a project operating in Cardiff that involves installing a sensor on an upstairs window facing the road. It will count the cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians that pass your window each day.
The Cardiff case study aims to operate across the city and wider region with communities of local citizens. Using the WeCount sensor (Telraam), placed on citizen scientist’s windows, we will capture near real-time data on traffic and mobility in streets and neighbourhoods. We will work with citizens to use this data to facilitate a citizen-led debate on local transport, air pollution and public health and work together to co-create solutions.
We Count
The study aims to explore the interlinkages between road transport and air pollution. It will investigate issues such as traffic volume, vehicle types, vehicle speed and active travel usage. By exploring these issues, they hope to also gain insights into other urban mobility challenges such as road safety, rat-running and barriers to sustainable behaviours.
If you feel like giving it a go, there’s a signup form at the link above. It’s completely free, you just need to provide a suitable upstairs window overlooking a road. There’s a newsletter that you may also want to read, which shows the kit in action and a privacy policy which you should also read before signing up, not that we can see anything troublesome in there. However, you will have to consent to the use of the data when you sign up.
If you live on Heol Isaf in Radyr/Morganstown; Merthyr Road in Whitchurch or Tongwynlais; Station Road in Llandaff North or any other street dogged by heavy through-traffic, this looks like a great project to get involved in.
Cardiff By Bike 
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