How city leaders can accelerate smart transportation projects

In many ways, transportation and transit agencies are at the forefront of smart city transformations. Sensors are enabling smart parking and smart traffic light systems to help reduce congestion and improve transit, while rapidly maturing autonomous vehicle technology and connected cars are beginning to change both public transit and personal transportation.

For city leaders looking to implement smart transportation projects, below are three steps to prepare for the opportunities such projects will bring.

Open the trunk of big data

The fuel behind any smart transportation project is data. As the saying goes, “data is the new oil.” By installing Internet of Things (IoT) sensors on roads throughout the city, government leaders can collect massive amounts of data like vehicle count, vehicle speed, drive time, road conditions, accidents, and more.

Accelerate the analysis

By analyzing and visualizing the captured data, city planners can identify changes in traffic patterns and potentially re-route drivers as conditions change.

For example, let’s say you’re planning to drive into a city for dinner. If the city had a parking app, you could open the app on your phone and reserve a parking spot close to the restaurant. Or, if you’re already en route, you could use the app to find parking availability nearby.

Being able to take advantage of data, in this case, parking data, is what gives citizens and tourists real-time parking information, ultimately making their trip downtown a less frustrating and more pleasant experience.

By utilizing data to make transportation more efficient, city leaders are more likely to attract more people into their city for the seamless and enjoyable experience.

Invest in a network infrastructure to keep you ahead of the curve

Another consideration for smart transportation projects is a high-speed, secure, and robust network. IDC estimates “by 2025, 41.6 billion deployed connected IoT sensors worldwide will be generating approximately 79.4 zettabytes of data,” which makes leveraging a trusted, installed, network infrastructure a requirement for every smart city. IoT sensors run on different protocols, like fiber or LTE, so smart city projects need a network that allows them to collect and deliver all of this data for analysis and visualization.

As a trusted technology partner, Spectrum Enterprise offers the robust, secure, and flexible network that city leaders can leverage to launch and sustain smart city projects. A fiber network from Spectrum Enterprise, can deliver the vast amounts of data, regardless of format, back to the city for analysis and visualization. This allows the city to drive operational efficiencies and provide citizens and tourists the information they need to make alternative decisions in their commute.

Driving toward new opportunities

Smart transportation has emerged as an imperative goal for city leaders to include in their short and long term plans. With smart transportation, city leaders can make a positive impact on the way citizens commute in dense urban areas and help municipalities save costs, reduce pollution, and better manage the safety and security of the community.

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