Smart Cities

For its seventh round of technology questions, the New York City organization will focus on understanding and growing ridership, and on doing more with maintenance. To date, the program has yielded 37 scalable solutions.

The Florida city is expanding its connected vehicle program on the Selmon Expressway to push more messaging to drivers, change behavior, and possibly reward better driving with cheaper toll rates.

The capital city received nearly $8.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and committed it all. To date, $4.5 million has been spent on internal projects including updates to at least three areas of tech.

Emergency and public transportation vehicles in cities that deployed traffic signal priority technology saved thousands of hours in travel time in 2024. The tech safely clears the way for first responders.

Leaders in Macon-Bibb County are working with a data-based assessment company to determine which of their roughly 1,200 miles of county-owned roads are in the worst shape and should be fixed first.

Mayor Melinda Barrett has discussed with the City Council taking maximum advantage of the state act signed last month. It includes $100 million for artificial intelligence research and $500 million for life sciences.

Three projects in early stages could bring hundreds of high-paying jobs to the northwest Indiana town. Construction of 1,000 housing units at Liberty Estates is now underway, and could provide housing for employees.

The Ross Town Council approved a pilot to install eight motion-activated cameras that photograph license plates. Personal identifying information will not be recorded. It’s estimated a system will cost $25,200 to lease in the first year.

City aldermen voted to hire Massachusetts-based International Data Corporation Research to help develop a plan and strategy for handling generative artificial intelligence. The process is estimated to take a year.

One Kentucky city is proving that generative AI projects are within reach for even small municipalities. At a cost of less than $200, Covington has launched a quirky LLM-powered chatbot to boost economic development.

The sheriff in the state’s most populous county hopes lawmakers can be persuaded to let authorities deploy traffic cameras to tamp down speeding and running red lights — and reduce fatal and injury crashes.

Streetlamps in Rumford, Maine, shine with 5G wireless connectivity, strengthening the community’s communications system. A public-private partnership has enabled officials to use the lights as wireless communication nodes.

Artificial intelligence is poised to become the next big energy hog and data centers stand to challenge sustainability goals. Some processing demands, however, can be shifted to periods when demand is low.

Traffic signal priority tech along with dedicated bus lanes is speeding up travel times, making them competitive with personal cars. It’s not a silver bullet, a transit priority director said, but “is a critical component of our program.”

The concept of a “smart city” or “connected community” has been around for decades, but experts argue the meaning of the term, and the expectations around it, have changed in recent years. Residential input remains vital, city leaders explain.

A Populus survey of city transportation officials about curb and parking oversight shows their desire for better data analytics. Munis are confronting other challenges too, including managing deliveries and maintaining data sets.

The City Council has approved buying software and equipment to underpin an online portal capable of tracking water use daily or hourly. It could help residents who use it spot leaks and call out emergencies.

Part of a “regional transportation hub,” the new center also features a STEM center for young adults. The complex, which showcases a library, houses what is believed to be the nation’s largest public EV charging station.