The city of Atlanta has an expanded research partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology to design, implement and study Smart City initiatives which are tools to address urban challenges such as traffic congestion and promote public safety and environmental sustainability. Through the partnership, Georgia Tech will act as the official research partner for the North Avenue Smart Corridor Project, which is funded by the Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond program.
The North Avenue Smart Corridor Project involves multiple Smart City technology components designed to: facilitate and promote safety for pedestrian and bicycle traffic; use the latest technology adaptive traffic signals for a safer, more efficient flow of bus and vehicular traffic in real time conditions and prioritize fire engines and ambulances traveling along the corridor on emergency response calls.
The expanded agreement will enable Georgia Tech to store and analyze data generated by these Smart City tools, offering professors and students an opportunity to conduct original research and analyze trends. The City will then use the research and analysis in short and long-term transportation planning.
North Avenue was chosen for the Smart Corridor Project because of its prominence as a major east-west artery running through the Georgia Tech campus in Midtown Atlanta and connecting to the Atlanta BeltLine and Freedom Parkway, with a MARTA rail station and multiple bus stops along its length. The road’s unique features offer the City and Georgia Tech an opportunity to study how to improve safety as well as better manage traffic flow during normal traffic conditions and during special events.
The City of Atlanta, Georgia Tech and Georgia State University became founding members of the MetroLab Network in September 2015, and have emerged as national leaders in this effort. The White House initiative was formed to research, develop and deploy new technologies to address challenges in our nation’s urban areas. Atlanta will host the MetroLab annual conference in September.
