The City of Montreal and Eco-Counter Renew Their Partnership to Collect Data on Active Transportation Usage

The City of Montreal and Eco-Counter confirm a continuing partnership in the deployment of new technology for data collection in the coming years. Bicycle and pedestrian traffic data will remain continuously accessible on the City of Montreal’s open data platform: https://donnees.montreal.ca/en/dataset/cyclistes

The data is also published on this new interface.

The network of legacy counters will be maintained to ensure a smooth transition during the gradual rollout of these new systems, to avoid any interruption in data collection during peak periods.

For over 10 years, the bicycle counter network has documented the evolution of active transportation in Montreal. This partnership has made it possible to build a series of longitudinal reference data, used by planning teams, researchers, and cycling associations to measure and communicate the growth of active mobility.

New technology soon to be implemented for multimodal data collection

The City of Montreal has selected Eco-Counter’s new CITIX-AI Evo counting system following a competitive bidding process. Based on camera vision and artificial intelligence, this solution automatically distinguishes and counts cyclists, pedestrians, and other road users—without storing images or personal data.

The transition from inductive loop sensors to advanced, non-intrusive technology based on computer vision will not only allow for the continued counting of cyclists but also enable the integration of pedestrian data collection, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of public space usage.

“Montreal is a global leader in urban cycling. We are proud to continue this partnership and take a new step forward together: with CITIX-AI Evo technology, the City will not only have continuous cycling data but also a comprehensive view of all active users of public space. » — Neal Poku, Sales Director, Eco-Counter

The City of Montreal continues to deploy innovative technologies in the field of intelligent transportation systems to leverage data, from planning to operations.

“Gaining a better understanding of cyclists’ movements, thanks to a new generation of non-intrusive counters and a new open data platform, allows us to better meet the needs of our residents. This is a concrete tool for improving our performance and designing safer, more accessible living environments,” added Alexandre Teodoresco, head of optimization, municipal performance, and innovation on the City of Montreal’s executive committee.