Emerging Mobility Technology
Emerging Mobility Technology involves deploying new technology to move people and goods through the city in faster, safer, cleaner, more affordable and more equitable ways. The City of Austin seeks to foster creative, mutually beneficial partnerships to support the safe development, testing, and integration of emerging mobility solutions into Austin’s transportation network. This testing offers a preview of the technology that may soon arrive on Austin streets and, in this way, prepares the City of Austin to manage its full deployment.
Private-sector organizations wishing to propose smart mobility projects not listed in calls for partnerships should submit a Public-Private Partnership Opportunity Expression of Interest Form.
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Recent Pilot Programs
TAPCO
TAPCO recently deployed technology in Austin to test its Connected Vehicle Pedestrian Crosswalk Warning System. This pilot will test the system's ability to improve pedestrian safety by alerting drivers when they approach pedestrians crossing the street.
When the crosswalk’s push-button is activated, the system will send communications to nearby connected vehicles that pedestrians are present and crossing the street in their intended path. Connected vehicles can use this wireless technology to communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles, and they can display basic safety messages to drivers.
The system also provides warnings to drivers of non-connected vehicles using highly visible, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons on both sides of the road. This pilot will also help the City develop a process for retrofitting older infrastructure with the new connected vehicle technology.
Velodyne
The Smart Mobility Office is piloting with Velodyne Lidar to analyze road safety and mobility by collecting real-time traffic data. An AI-powered software solution is combined with a laser sensor or LiDAR to monitor road networks and generate real-time traffic data, including near-miss incidents, Advanced Traffic Signal Performance Metrics, and Safety Analytics (ATSPM). Unlike many camera-based solutions, LiDAR works in any weather or lighting conditions and creates a real-time 3D perception for all types of road users with a single sensor at the corner of intersections.
View Velodyne Pilot news story
NTT Smart City Platform
The Smart Mobility Office is piloting NTT's Smart City Platform, which has the potential to digitally transform traffic management operations by detecting and notifying of specific traffic conditions in real time. The deployments will be evaluated for their capability to improve situational awareness at selected locations by collecting, analyzing, and reporting on various transportation situations, including wrong-way driving incidents, as well as vehicle counts, volumes, and trends. Automating data analytics with event- or rule-based algorithms can be highly cost-effective, augmenting personnel by directing their attention to key events and quickly aggregating raw data for further analysis.