Live Traffic, Zero Drama: Open-Source Twins for Smarter Cities

Kurzfassung

Cities are under growing pressure to make mobility decisions that are transparent, data-driven, and environmentally responsible. Yet many current traffic management strategies still rely on static models and infrequent measurements, limiting their ability to respond dynamically to real conditions. Open standards, open data, and openly governed software ecosystems can fundamentally change this.

This session presents how Eclipse SUMO can operate as a continuously running digital twin for urban mobility. Using insights from a recent project with the City of Leipzig, the talk shows how real-time traffic states can be reconstructed and kept up to date continuously. A key element is the new open-source project "SUMO Live Data Loop", which integrates live measurements - such as traffic counts and speeds - directly into a running simulation. This enables a digital twin that reflects reality at any moment and supports short-term forecasting and operational decisions.

The session also demonstrates how cities can use open mobility data from sources like Telraam or municipal sensor platforms to build and maintain such a live digital twin. By combining SUMO's traffic and emission models with real-time data, municipalities gain the ability to assess environmental impacts and evaluate targeted traffic management strategies. This approach reduces dependency on proprietary systems and promotes transparency, reproducibility, and long-term sustainability.