Cox Communications has launched a pilot partnership with the city of Las Vegas to trial its smart curbside management solution from Cox2M, which is aimed at reducing downtown traffic congestion.
The goal of the new pilot project is to reduce traffic congestion in downtown Las Vegas. Covering six parking spots along the sidewalk adjacent to the 100 block of Main Street are two digital kiosks that utilize video analytics and smart parking technology to better manage active curb loading zones for taxis and rideshares, making conditions safer for visitors and pedestrians, Cox said.
“The city is working on a variety of smart and innovative public-private partnerships, just like this one,” said Mayor Carolyn Goodman. “We appreciate Cox for their out-of-the-box thinking and assistance as we work together to ease traffic congestion in our downtown. It’s ideas like this one that will move our city into the future.”
“Installing the curbside management kiosks demonstrates the innovation that Las Vegas is pursuing to create a smarter ecosystem for visitors and residents,” said Barak Weinisman, vice president, Cox2M and smart communities. “We look forward to working with the city to help ease traffic flow and showcase how kiosks can enable visitor engagement.”
The firm explained that video analytics from devices along the curb will capture vehicle and license plate information and send utilization data to the kiosks to kick off a countdown timer. If a vehicle remains in the loading zone after the countdown ends, the system reports the incident directly to the city, ensuring a constant flow of traffic.
On the backend, the Cox platform provides cloud processing of traffic flow information, an on-screen interface to display vehicle information, and an online portal to report traffic flows and pedestrian counts.
Additionally, Cox Media is currently exploring the placement of advertisements on the kiosks and how that can provide local businesses with brand presence in downtown Las Vegas.
Cox noted that the six-month pilot started at the beginning of March after weeks of testing.
Cox2M, a new business line of Cox Communications, offers solutions to enable connected environments by providing commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to businesses and communities.
Cox2M currently serves the automotive sector and is broadening its focus to other business sectors, cities, and communities.
