The Municipality of The Hague has enhanced the crowd monitoring on the Scheveningen boulevard with a smart innovation. The existing AI system now not only counts pedestrians but also distinguishes between pedestrians and cyclists. This expansion is currently being tested at the entrance of the new covered bicycle parking facility on the North Boulevard.
Insight into the use of the bicycle parking facility
"The municipality has opened a new bicycle parking facility on the boulevard. Located inside a building, it offers visitors a comfortable, free, and secure place to park their bikes. This new facility replaces the temporary unmonitored bicycle parking that was previously located on the square. To track how many people are using the facility, the counting system has been improved. Whereas it previously only counted people, a new module now enables it to recognize cyclists as well. This gives the municipality better insight into how the facility is being used. The new counting method is currently being tested with one camera on the boulevard.
Privacy-Friendly Technology
Privacy remains a top priority in the expansion of crowd monitoring. The AI system operates entirely anonymously: it does not store any images or make individuals identifiable. Instead, it only analyzes numbers and movement patterns. No personal data is collected. This approach fully complies with the ethical and legal guidelines the municipality applies to smart technology in public spaces.
Policy Development and Future Plans
The new data provides the Municipality of The Hague with deeper insight into how the boulevard is being used, as well as the ratio between pedestrians and cyclists. This information enables the municipality to develop more targeted policies, evaluate existing facilities, and make better-informed decisions about future adjustments. At the same time, The Hague is exploring the possibility of applying this technology in other areas of the city.
Collaboration and Evaluation
This expansion has been made possible through collaboration between the Coastal Action Plan, the Living Lab Scheveningen, and the supplier of the AI system. The pilot is integrated with the existing crowd monitoring efforts and is being evaluated using the Crowd Safety Manager.
Want to know more?
or additional information, you can contact Jochum Buchener at jochum.buchener@denhaag.nl or send an email to smartthehague@denhaag.nl.
You can view the official Privacy Statement for Crowd Density Measurements related to Scheveningen on the Smart City The Hague website.