Pilot Program Will Monitor Car Computers to Fix New York Streets

A pilot program operated by New York's DOT will gather data from 500 city motorists' vehicles in order to find problematic city streets and help drivers reduce their gas use and increase their safety.

1 minute read

September 12, 2013, 9:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


New York's Department of Transportation (DOT) "will launch a federally funded pilot program this fall to equip up to 500 city motorists with transmitters that collect data from their car's onboard computers," reports Ted Mann. "The data will flow to certain smartphone apps, supplying drivers with statistics on everything from gas mileage to the average speeds at which they move through city traffic."

"The DOT will be able to monitor the same driver data, to evaluate how and where cars are moving through the city in a new way. The DOT could analyze the data to find specific problems that plague specific streets."

"It will create a revolutionary new set of metrics for us in managing the streets," said Bruce Schaller, the DOT's deputy commissioner for traffic and planning.

Friday, August 30, 2013 in The Wall Street Journal

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

People biking along beach path with moored ship in San Diego, California.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

May 2, 2025 - SD News

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Adults and children planting trees during Arbor Day event in Lakewood, Colorado.

Lakewood Celebrates Arbor Day and Strengthens Urban Forestry Legacy

Lakewood celebrated Arbor Day and its 43rd year as a Tree City USA community with a youth-led tree planting event at O’Kane Park, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to urban forestry and environmental education.

4 seconds ago - City of Lakewood

Cars in traffic entering Holland Tunnel in New York City.

NYC Congestion Pricing Continues to Show Positive Results

While the Trump administration attempts to revoke the program’s federal approval, congestion pricing continues to reduce traffic, speed up bus travel times, and improve air quality in Manhattan.

1 hour ago - Governing

Close-up of elevated planter box in sidewalk with alternating grass and concrete patches.

Grassroots Dutch Movement Replaces Pavement With Green Space

Neighbors engage in a practice known as “tegelwippen,” picking up paving stones and replacing them with permeable surfaces, often with the support of local governments.

2 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

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.