Smart cities tech isn't just for cars. Portland is out to prove that sensors and data can benefit all modes of travel.
Portland recently made a pair of investments aimed at improving bike awareness and safety around the city.
"PBOT purchased data from Portland startup Ride Report, and plans to install smart safety sensors on three of the city’s most dangerous streets," reports Caleb Diehl.
Diehl describes the moves as a "smart cities" approach to bike planning in a city already famous for bike friendliness and mobility services tech companies (like the Portland-based moovel).
In the old days, when PBOT wanted to see how many people were biking at a specific location, planners collected surveys and sent out legions of employees and volunteers to manually count them. That process could take up to six months.
The smart sensors automate at least part of the process. Unlike humans, they can count several things at once — such as when and where people cross the street, and how fast they’re going. The sensors’ cameras can even pick out different shapes and sort them into cars, bikes and people, kind of like how Facebook recognizes your friends in photos.
Portland will be following the lead of San Diego and Atlanta to install the traffic sensors. Ride Report has made it into 13 cities, according to Diehl.
FULL STORY: PBOT places bet on ‘smart city’ tech to count bikes and make streets safer
Can Portland's Bike Boom Outlast the Pandemic?
"Anytime the city does something to dramatically improve streets for people and limit car access...it’s hard to take them back."
Tech and the Post-Pandemic City
To steer American cities into the future, public and private sectors—and citizens—must work together to build broad, lasting support around complicated issues such as transparency and data privacy.
New Bicycle Parking Code Adopted in Portland
Portland has updated its bicycle parking code for the first time since the code was adopted in 1996.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)