The city of Austin, Texas is partnering with NTT Corp. on an Accelerate Smart pilot project that will use new technologies to analyze traffic patterns, ease congestion, and support community planning in Austin.
NTT’s Accelerate Smart data platform, as well as modular data center infrastructure for edge deployments, will monitor traffic-related issues downtown using Internet of Things (IoT) devices deployed at the intersections of Cesar Chavez Street and Trinity Street and Guadalupe Street and 5th Street. The smart city project will collect traffic-related and mobility data through vehicle counting and classification, as well as wrong-way vehicle occurrences, to provide real-time notifications and better inform how to implement appropriate solutions to fit traffic patterns.
“We are piloting NTT because these solutions have the potential to help Austin digitally transform how people move safely through the city. By better understanding the data and causal effects of problems we see in challenging areas, we can develop effective solutions that meet the community's needs,” Jason JonMichael, Assistant Director of Smart Mobility for the city of Austin, said in a statement. “Evaluating data is key to reaching our Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatalities and serious injuries on Austin roadways. Smart technologies like this one will help us prioritize improvements to make our streets safer.”
Using IoT, NTT will deliver the city real-time alerts and traffic statistics that improve predictions and outcomes for the city of Austin. The Accelerate Smart service will collect and detect data, including vehicle counts and occurrences of wrong-way driving, to enable the city to make informed recommendations for effective transportation planning aligned with the Vision Zero initiatives.
The pilot program is designed to provide automated deployment and operation of necessary information and communications technology (ICT) resources from devices and networks to the cloud. This will allow the city to focus on improving traffic conditions through analysis and process data more efficiently without worrying about deployment and optimization issues.
Following the initial pilot, the city of Austin and NTT plan to evaluate the viability of extending the pilot and potentially adding locations.
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SOURCE: NTT Corp.
