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Portland, Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler, joined by private and public sector partners, launches Portland’s Traffic Sensor Safety Project.
Portland, Oregon officials claim its city has some of the best bike data in the United States — data revealing how many people ride bicycles, where they’re going and what streets they’re using. Their collection of that data, however, has been as low-tech as it gets: city staffers and volunteers stand out on street corners for two hours at a time and count.
Now, the city is aiming for more comprehensive, accurate data collection with the installation of 200 sensors installed on street lights on three of Portland’s deadliest streets: Southeast Division St., SE Hawthorne Blvd. and 122nd St.
The Traffic Sensor Safety Project, for a price tag of just over $1 million, represents the first major milestone for the Smart City PDX initiative. It relies on GE’s Current CityIQ sensors, which are powered with Intel IoT technology and use AT&T as the data carrier. GE, Intel and AT&T have already worked together to deploy smart streetlight sensors in San Diego.
“We are bringing forth the best aspects from our domains… ultimately to solve a real-world problem,” said Sameer Sharma, Intel’s global GM for IoT Solutions.
In addition to tracking cyclists, the city plans to track cars and pedestrians to better understand overall traffic patterns. The data will help Portland planners evaluate the impact of street design tools like protected bike lanes and new crosswalks. Ultimately, the city wants to use that information to advance its “Vision Zero” goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
In a press conference in a park on SE Division St., Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city needs to think about what data it’s collecting, how it’s collecting it, and how that data is shared. If it doesn’t, he said, “The risk is technology happens to us rather than working for us.”
“Our intent is to define the smart city in way that serves our city’s values while at the same time serving as a national model,” Wheeler said, “to ensure technology, data and partnerships with the private sector are used in a coordinated way to improve people’s lives.”