Roadway analytics helps cities manage traffic
GettyImages/Karl Hendon
Connecting state and local government leaders
An artificial intelligence-based platform will give city managers better data on congestion, public safety and greenhouse gas emissions.
Communities are using intelligent infrastructure and roadway analytics to manage traffic, improve public safety and track greenhouse gas emissions.
Winchester, Va., is piloting an artificial intelligence-powered platform from Rekor Systems, an intelligent infrastructure company, that will give officials data to help them better understand and manage daily and seasonal traffic and support city planning.
The intelligence platform, called Rekor One, aggregates data from the company’s own network of roadway traffic sensors and third-party sources to provide both historical and real-time insights, which can then be shared securely across agencies.
The platform features several municipal applications and can work with existing infrastructure. Law enforcement will be able to access portions of the data and analytics through the company's Public Safety solution, while transportation and other city departments can use the Rekor One Traffic Management solution to address issues around congestion, roadway safety and incident management, company officials said.
City officials will have access to reporting and analytics on vehicle counts, type and tonnage, smog scores of passenger vehicles and trucks on the roadway and the use of electric vehicles – in addition to other anonymized information provided by Rekor.
This data will be especially important during tourist season, when increased traffic puts a strain on roadway infrastructure. With real-time, interagency alerts and analytics on incidents, traffic managers can address issues around congestion, roadway safety and incident management.
The platform also supports green initiatives, with the analytical data enabling city managers to accurately estimate greenhouse gas emissions coming from congestion-related issues.
Philadelphia will be running a similar pilot with Rekor for its Navy Yard, with the six-month program set to kick off in the first quarter of this year.
“We wanted to better understand this traffic and make sure that people traveling around and through the City had a positive and safe experience,” Winchester City Manager Dan Hoffman said. “Rekor provides us a valuable opportunity to study how we can use AI technology to help us become a roadway intelligence leader.”