january 2016 the information superhighway
TRANSCRIPT
FINANCING SUCCESSCreative fi nancing practices helped communities across the country see their projects materialize
GUNSHOT DETECTIONShotSpotter partners with GE to improve gunshot detection systems in cities
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How big data analytics is transforming the way cities manage traffi c.s | 9
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ISSUES AND TRENDS 2 Financing Success
Creative fi nancing practices helped communities
across the country see their projects materialize
ACROSS AMERICA 6 Shedding light on gunshot incidents
ShotSpotter partners with GE to improve
gunshot detection systems in cities
COMMENTARY 8 Bridging the Mobility Gap
GOVERNMENT PRODUCT NEWS 17 Products at Work
January 2016 volume 131, number 1
In this issue
ISSN: 0149-337X
American City & County, January 2016, Vol. 131, No. 1, (ISSN: 0149-337X) is published monthly by Penton, Inc., 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park KS 66212-2216 (penton.com).Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, MO., and additional mailing of ces. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Canada return address: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American City & County, P.O. Box 2100, Skokie, IL 60076-7800 USA.
FEATURE
9 The Information SuperhighwayHow big data analytics is transforming
the way cities manage traffi c
2 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
insight into the latest social, financial and political movements shaping america’s communities
In2015,Bremerton,nearSeattle,completedconstructionoftheLillianandJamesWalkerParkerParkinan
eforttoprovidethelow-incomeresidentsoftheAndersonCoveneighborhoodaccesstoawaterfrontcommunitypark.TemoderngreenspacewasnamedaftertwoiconsofthecommunitywhospenttheirlivesfghtingagainstracialdiscriminationinthecityfollowingWorldWarII.
Basedoncommunityinterest
fromapublicoutreachsurvey,thecitysoughttobuildthenewparkwithfeaturesincludingaccessiblepathways,beachaccess,familypicnicareasandlandscapeimprovements.Teparkwasalsodesignedtousemoderntechniquestotreatstormwater.Fundingforsuchanambitiousprojectwasnoeasytask.
Tefnancingeventuallycamedowntoacleveruseoflocal,stateandfederalfunding.“Tefundingwasathree-stepprocess,”says,
PublicWorksDirectorChalMartin.“First,neighborhoodrevitalization,second,receivinggrantfundingtofurtherimprovethesitewithstormwatertreatment,andfnally,doingtheparkworkitself.”
Approximately$800,000offundingcamefromaWashingtonDepartmentofEcologygranttoimplementlow-impactdevelopmenttechniquesforstormwatercontrolandtreatment.Tesefundswereusedbythecitytopurchasetheold,beachfrontWorldWarIIduplexhousingunitsbeforeproceedingtodeveloptheareawithstormwaterfacilitiesandparkfeatures.Some$159,000camefromtheU.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopmentforcommunityenhancement.
“Welookedforwaystousediferentgrantfundingtoworktogether,”Martinsays.“TiswouldnothaveworkediftheStateDepartmentofEcologywasnotfexible.Testatedepartmentwaskey.”
WiththeDepartmentofEcologyworkingcloselywiththecity’sPublicWorksandParksDepartment,theDepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopmentandtheneighborhooditself,theprojectwascompletedlastNovember.Tiscommunityinvestmentresultedinaresourcethatthecityanditsresidentscanpassontofuturegenerations.
Financing Success
Every year, we have dozens of nominations for our Crown Communities Awards and a tough time picking our winners. Because there are always interesting elements in each nomination, we decided to highlight them in stories throughout the year. Following are three stories of how several nominees fnanced their projects.
LillianandJamesWalkerParkProjectBremerton, Washington
by Peter Dye
americancityandcounty.com | January 2016 3
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The Jef erson Barns Community Vitality Center in Westland, part of the city’s historic
Norwayne neighborhood, was envisioned to be the linchpin of revitalization in a struggling community. T e center was once an abandoned elementary school, but it now serves as a community
hub. T e renovated facility hosts the Norwayne Boxing Club, a library, athletic courts and a Nankin Transit system stop. Financing for this inf uential community project was achieved through numerous sources working together for the enrichment of the neighborhood.
T e largest portion of the funding came from the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development Section 108 Loan program for neighborhood revitalization. T e loan will be paid back through developments each year. T e center, however, was not only built through government loans.
“All of our partners here have invested their own funds for the project,” says Joanne Campbell,
Jef erson Barns Community Vitality Center Westland, Mich.
4 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
issues trends
director of the city’s Community Development Department. “Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency contributed $75,000, Nankin bus transit for senior citizens and the handicapped invested $45,000, we received a learning center grant for $65,000 to open a computer learning center, and we’re estimating $20,000 in donated labor from Wayne-Westland community schools. Even though it wasn’t a lot of money, the Citizen’s Council also raised $3,000 to make the library.”
T rough a combination of city funding, partners’ investments, donated labor, volunteers and repurposed equipment, the project was able to cut costs and involve local residents. Even the neighborhood’s youth took part in the process. “High school students did a lot of the renovations,” Campbell says. “T e 11th and 12th graders were brought out and were able to do
real work in the community.”Many of the rooms in the center
are used to provide classes, camps, tutoring and counseling for the residents of the neighborhood, but the work isn’t f nished yet. T e center has received a $75,000 grant from the state of Michigan to build two baseball diamonds and an outdoor basketball court this spring. Financing the center
with resources from within the community ensures residents have an active interest in the facility, and it will play a key role in the neighborhood for years to come.
Last August marked the opening of the new State University of New York (SUNY) Ulster satellite
campus in Kingston, N.Y. T e campus was converted from a former elementary school and will provide educational and career opportunities to graduating students of the adjacent high school. T is is thanks to the Strategic Taxpayer Relief through Innovative Visions in Education (S.T.R.I.V.E.) Project that aims to make higher education for the low-income residents of Kingston more accessible. S.T.R.I.V.E. was able to secure funds though green infrastructure practices that will be good for the environment and won’t burden taxpayers.
Financing for this project came from a collaboration of government, private and educational funding. A total of $1,641,450 of serial bonds
S.T.R.I.V.E. Project Ulster County, New York
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 5
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were issued by Ulster County which will be reimbursed by Ulster County Community College as part of their rent payments for the facility. Te project also received several grants, including $439,000 from the Green Innovation Grant Program, which allowed the center to implement green design elements. Tis included the development of six rain gardens to reduce and clean stormwater run-of and two green walls that cover portions of the outside of the building with ivy. Additionally, the renovated campus received $3,765,450 from SUNY Capital Facilities.
“As you can see, we used some unique funding coordination to achieve our goal,” says Bob Sudlow, Ulster County deputy executive. “I think this refects the approach demonstrated through this project—a unique concept that was funded in a very creative fashion.”
SUNY Ulster hopes to provide the local neighborhoods with the opportunity for educational advancement while helping the county and its residents save money. Sudlow adds that S.T.R.I.V.E. demonstrates that strategic partnerships can help achieve transformative goals for communities.
EXPLORING PUBLIC SERVICES THROUGH PROJECTS, GEAR, STATISTICS & HISTORY
6 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
Whether it’s the urban gunf re that plagues cities daily or the gunf re from an active shooter, getting to the scene quickly and having the critical information necessary for immediate action is key for f rst responders.
Late last year, two companies, GE Lighting and ShotSpotter, signed a memorandum of understanding to bring gunshot detection to light f xtures. T e product will become part of GE’s Intelligent Environments for Cities platform that “uses LED street lighting and wireless sensors to connect, collect and analyze data, harnessing the power of the Industrial Internet to enhance quality of life for city residents and visitors,” according to the company.
GE says the proprietary acoustic sensors and product software “would give street lamps the ability to detect gunf re in real time,
Shedding light on gunshot incidents
Embedding gunf re detection technology in city streetlights will add to Smart City infrastructure
By embedding gunshot detection
technology in streetlights, cities can
protect residents more ef ectively
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 7
ShotSpotter detects
and locates gunfre in
real time, broadcasting
critical alerts to law
enforcement and
frst responders
connect to 911, alert police patrol cars, and ping smartphones with the precise location of the shooting incident, the number of shooters and rounds fred and other valuable intelligence.”
Many cities and police departments across the country have turned to gunfre detection technology to dramatically improve their ability to respond to gunfre incidents.
It’s expected that the partnership will help police across the nation quickly identify the area where gunfre has occurred. People living in many of the areas most afected by gunfre are the least likely to call it in. In fact, it has been estimated that less than 2 in 10 shooting incidents are reported to 911, and when calls do come in, the information is often inaccurate.
An originator of advanced gunfre technology, ShotSpotter, was founded in the mid 1990s. Te product detects and locates gunfre in real time and then broadcasts alerts to frst responders, with the location, number of rounds fred, multiple or single shooters and other situational intelligence.
Proven Tool for Gun Violence Reduction
Te San Francisco police department has experienced a nearly 50 percent
decrease in recorded frearms violence since deploying the system as part of its gun violence abatement strategy. A spokesperson from the ofce of the mayor says that the system was key in lowering crime rates, with homicides currently at a 30-year low in the city.
Canton, Ohio’s police department also is using the technology as a preventative tool, along with proactive community-focused eforts, to combat gun-related crime that was escalating in the city of 75,000. With the system in place for more than two years, Canton’s Police Chief Bruce Lawver says gunfre incidents have decreased by nearly one-third per year, citizen emergency calls are down and evidence collection has increased by nearly four times.
ShotSpotter is actively working with Current, powered by GE, to embed the technology in hopes of shining a light, fguratively and literally on shooting incidents across the country.
Commentary from Ralph Clark, the
president and CEO of ShotSpotter as well
as information from GE lighting were
used in the creation of this article.
8 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
issues trends
MobilityisthekeyenableroftheAmericandream.Forupper-andmiddle-class
Americans,buyinggas,payinginsuranceandmaintainingacariswithinreach.Mostpurchasehomesthatareclosetoworkandschool,makingiteasytobeontimeandcreatekeysocialconnectionstomoveupwardontheireconomicladders. Butmanylow-incomepeopledon’thavereliabletransportation.Well-payingjobsareoftenfarawayfromimpoverishedneighborhoods.Withoutthemoneyortheabilitytocommutetowork,peoplelivinginpovertyhaveahardertimeescapingtheircircumstances. Evenworse,peoplelivingwithdisabilitiesoftenhavetowaituptotwohoursforaparatransitunittogettotheirnextappointments.Orworse,theyarestranded. AreportbytheCommunityActionNetworkinAustin,Texas,saysaccesstopublictransportation,especiallyinlow-incomeareas,afectseverythingfromhealthcareservicestoaccesstoafter-schoolprograms. ZIPcodesdictatethelikelihoodofoursuccess—notonlyforus,butalsoforourchildren.Parentswhocannotstayandeatbreakfastwiththeirchildren,makeittotheirschoolplays,orarriveontimeforparent-teacherconferencescanafecttheirchildren’sachievementsinandoutofschool. Tesocialmobilitygapincreasestheriskoflosingtalentedemployeesandfuturebusinessleaders.Infact,oneinsevenpeoplebetweentheagesof16and25areneitherinschoolnorworking,costingthegovernment$93.7billioninsupport
andlosttaxrevenue.Wecannotleavethembehind. Wecaneitherkeepthingsastheyare,orwecaninvestinnewmobilitystructuresthatwillnotonlyhelptheisolated,butalsosocietyasawhole.Sohowdoweclosethegap? Openingnewstoresinpoorandmiddle-classareasoroferingbikeshareprogramsacrossthecountryarebothimportantfrststeps.AndSafePassageprograms,liketheoneinChicago,ensurestudentsindangerousneighborhoodsmakeitsafelyhomeortoschool. Butitstilldoesn’tanswerthequestionofaccessingareasoutsideoftheinnercity. Toremovethemobilitygap,Americaneedsaholisticapproachwithcoordinatedefortsfromboththeprivateandpublicsector.Individually,thegovernmentcanapprovededicatedbuslanes,businessescanoferfexibleschedules,andnonproftscanprovideassistance.Butthesethreegroupsneedtoworktogethertomakerealprogress. Rightnow,manycommunitiesrequirethatbusesandapercentageofcabsaccommodatewheelchairsinaccordancewiththefederalAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct.Butapublic-privatepartnershipintentonimprovingtechnologycouldenableeasytransport.Insteadofadaptingbusesandcabswithexpensiveretroftequipment,thegovernmentcanincentivizetheprivatesectortocreatenewtechnologytomakethetransportationprocesseasierforthisgroup.BeingADA-accessibleisn’tasgoodashavingtechnologyplatformsthatsendaspeciallyoutfttedvehicle—atareasonableprice—totakedisabledpeoplewheretheyneedtogo. Andbusinessesthatconstantly
freemployeesbecausetheycan’tgettoworkontimelosebothtimeandmoney.Tosebusinesses,however,couldworkwiththecitytocreatemobilitypackagesforemployees—eventhoseatentry-level—anddrasticallydiminishtheirturnoverrates.Abusinesswillenduppayingonewayoranother,butonlyoneoptionhelpslong-termemployees. Apublic-privatepartnershipisthekeytofxingthisproblem.Evenwhengovernments,businesses,andnonproftsdon’tdirectlyputnewtransportationinfrastructureintodisadvantagedneighborhoods,theycanstillfreeupresourcesthatcanbespentdirectlyinthosecommunities—andmakemoreefcientuseofexistinginfrastructure. Ifthegovernmentdoesn’tworkwiththefexiblebusinessandnonproftsectors,then,asRobertPutnamdemonstratedinthebook“OurKids,”thedividebetweenthosewithandthosewithoutwillonlygetworse.Wemustallworktogethertobridgethemobilitygap.
Joseph Kopser is the co-founder
and CEO of RideScout, an Austin,
Texas-based technology platform
created to increase transportation
efciency by getting people out of
their cars and into other public,
commercial and private options.
Bridging the Mobility Gapcommentary
americancityandcounty.com | January 2016 9
All big cities have one thing in common – traf c. It’s frustrating, costly and bad for the environment. High levels of traf c increase stress, lower quality of life and make a city less appealing. Traf c engineers
are charged with making transportation systems run as ef ciently as possible, but often the task seems impossible. However, with technological innovations and sophisticated data analytics, local governments are better able to battle gridlock now than ever before.
LOS ANGELES’ NERVE CENTER
T e Los Angeles Department of Transportation began development of their Automated Traf c Surveillance and Control system (ATSAC) over 30 years ago for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Small in scope, the system integrated about 20 intersections, says Edward Yu, a Los Angeles traf c engineer and the ATSAC system’s manager. In the decades since, it has grown to cover the entire city, synchronizing all of Los Angeles’ 4,600 traf c signals – the f rst major city in the world to do so.
T e massive system works by allowing total
T e Information Superhighway
How big data analytics is transforming the way cities manage traffi c
By Derek Prall
10 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
controlofeverysignalinthecity.“We’vehardwiredeverysignalinthecityofLosAngeles,”Yusays.“KeepinmindthecityofLosAngelesisabout460squaremiles,andencompassesabout7,000milesofpublicstreets.Wecoveralargearea.”
Tocontroltrafconsuchalargescale,thesystemisbrokenupintoseveralsectors,eachconsistingofabout200-300signalseach,Yusays.Eachsectorishardwiredtoalocalhub,andfromthathubdataistransmittedviafberopticcablebacktothetrafcmanagementcenter,locatednearcityhall.
“Fromtherewegetsecond-by-seconddatafromeachsignal,”Yusays.“Wegetdataregardinghowmuchtimewasgiventoaparticular[trafcsignal]phase,we’llgetdataonhowmanycarswentthrough,wecangetdatainsomeinstancesonhowfastthatvehiclewasmoving,wegetdataoncongestionlevels…wegetdataonhowtheoverallintersectionisperforming.”
Whilethecenterdoesutilizevideosurveillancecamerassetupatintersections,thedataismostlygatheredbyover40,000magneticinductionloopsburiedunderthepavement.Tesesensorsdetectthevehiclesthatpassoverthem,feedingtheinformationbacktothetrafcmanagementcenter.“Toseareoureyesoutinthestreet,”Yusays.
Withthisdata,thesystemcanautomaticallyrespondtofuctuationsintrafcpatterns,makingadjustmentstosignaltimingtooptimizethethroughputoftheoverallstreetsystem.Tesystemismanagedholisticallyandasanetwork,withthetimingatonesignalimpactingothersinthesystem.Real-timedatais
gatheredandanalyzedatanetwork-widelevel,ensuringtheentiresystemisrunningasefcientlyaspossible.
“Tesystemwasdevelopedinsuchawaythatsynchronizationandcoordinationisakeyelement,”Yusays,“butit’sreallyourabilitytooptimizetheconditionsofthesignalsthatallowsustoreallymanagetrafc…tooptimizeeverythingthatcomesthroughthesignal.”
Additionally,signalscanbemanuallyadjustedifneedbe.“Wecanmanuallymanipulatethetimingforeachintersection,”Yusays,“whichallowsustomanagemoreefectivelyandefcientlyduringspecialevents,constructionevents,emergencyactivities…whichhelpsuskeepeverythingmovinginthecityofLA.”
Analyzingthedemandsoftheentirestreetsystem
ATSAC headquarters, located in downtown Los Angeles,
collects data from every connected trafc signal in the city
and uses analytics programs to optimize the entire system.
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 11
in real time is ATSAC’s primary objective. “Trough the use of these loop detectors we’re able to respond to the demands of vehicular trafc,” Yu says. “We’re measuring the demands of trafc and the system is automatically adjusting to those demands in such a way where we improve the efciency of the intersections for all modes of transportation.”
It’s important to note, Yu says, that the system doesn’t only monitor passenger vehicle trafc. “Te system has expanded and evolved into not only management of vehicles; we’re kind of a multimodal system now,” Yu says. “We manage busses, we manage trains, we manage pedestrian activity, we manage bicycle activity, we manage in some cases equestrian activity all with one system.”
One of the elements that sets ATSAC apart from other adaptive trafc management solutions in other cities is that the system was developed entirely in-house, Yu says. “We developed our own algorithms, we developed our own system, because trafc and how it’s managed is unique in LA.” As such, Yu says, several cities across the country have come to LA for advice on how to develop their own, similar systems or modify already existing ones.
Te system cost about $400 million spread out over its 30-year development, Yu says, but he says it has been worth the cost. According to a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the ATSAC system successfully reduced travel delays, increased overall speeds and has cut down greenhouse gas emissions in the city.
According to the report: “We can expect ATSAC corridors… to improve speeds by 13 percent and decrease average stopped delay for heavier fows along the arterial[s] by 32 to 43 percent. ATSAC may also reduce the total delay, fuel consumption and emissions (CO, NOx, VOC) by 3 to 4 percent.”
Due to the successful evolution of the ATSAC system and the increasingly sophisticated ways data can be collected and analyzed, Yu feels that the ATSAC system, and others like it, will be integral in the
development of Los Angeles’ future. “Te use of data, providing people with information so they can make smarter choices, that’s the future,” he says.
Boston’s Data sharing PartnershiP
Instead of constructing their own system from the ground up, Boston’s trafc management practices rely on partnerships with third-party private businesses to collect, share and analyze data to make the city’s transportation networks run more efciently.
Gina Fiandaca, the Boston Transportation Department commissioner, says the city’s trafc
12 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
managementcenterpartneredwithWaze,acommunity-basedtrafcnavigationapp,tobealertedtotrafcjams,accidentsoranyotherdisruptionsinthenormalfowoftrafc.Wazeusersreporttheseinterruptions,andtheappforwardsdatatothecity’strafcengineerswho,usingtheirowndatagatheredfromsensorsandcameras,canmakereal-timeadjustmentstotrafcsignals.
“Wehave850signalizedintersections,”Fiandacasays,“andover550ofthoseareconnectedtoourtrafcmanagementcenter.Wehaveastafofengineersthatmonitortheroadwaysandareabletomakethoseadjustments.”
WhilethedataprovidedbyWazehelpstheseengineersmakeinformeddecisions,thepartnershipisatwo-waystreet,Fiandacasays.“WealsoprovideinformationbacktoWazeonchangesthatwe’vemadeinreal-time,butalsoanyknownchangesthatwehavecomingupthatareplanned.”ShesaysthishelpsWazeanditsusersintheBostonarea–some400,000individuals–plantripsbasedofthemostup-to-dateinformationpossible.“It’sveryhelpfultoustobeabletogetourmessageouttosuchawidevolumeofusersoutontheroadway.”
However,partneringwithathird-partyorganizationpresentssomechallenges,especiallywhenitcomestosharingdata.Infrastructureandsoftwaremustbecompatibleacrossagencies,andensuringthiscompatibilityisoftenfrustratingandtimeconsuming.Inthisregard,Fiandacasaysit’simportanttohavehighlyskilled,technicallymindedindividualsonstaf.
“Wewerefortunatethatwehavesomereallysharp,technicalpeopleintheDepartmentofInnovationandTechnology,”Fiandacasays.“Teywereabletofacilitate
this[partnership]forourengineersatthemanagementcenteraswellasourenforcementofcers.”Itwasimportant,logisticallyspeaking,thattheincomingdatatranslateintothealreadyexistingsystem,andanyoutgoingdatabemadeanonymous,sheadds.
TesuccessfulpartnershipwithWazehasspurredotherprograms,Fiandacasays.“Weaskedourselves,‘WhatelsecouldweusetheWazedatafor?’”Teanswerwastocombatoneofthemostirritatingtrafcimpedimentsonnarrowurbanstreets–double-parking.
Tecityplottedwherethehighestnumberofdouble-parkingofensesoccurred,basedofthenumberofcitationsgeneratedonparticularstreets,anddeployedbicycleofcerstotheselocations.Armedwithreal-timedataofslowingtrafcconditionsbasedofWazedata,ofcerscouldseewhenanindividualhaddouble-parkedandissuethatdriveracitation.
“It’sbeenprettysuccessful.Wecouldseethatourbicyclepatrolswereactuallynotissuingasmanytickets.”Tisdemonstrated,Fiandacasays,thatthedata-drivendoubleparkingpatrolswerebecomingadeterrenttothepracticeonthestreetswheredouble-parkingwasmostlikelytooccur.“WeconsiderthatasuccessofthepartnershipwithWaze,”sheadds.
TeagreementbetweenthecityandWazewasbrokeredbyBoston’sDepartmentofInnovationandTechnology,Fiandacasays,andtheTransportationDepartmentisjustoneofseveralcitydepartmentsbeneftingfromdata-sharing.Andthispartnershiphasbeenusefulinmanyotherways.
Anotherchallengethathasbeenhelpedthroughdata-sharingpracticesiscenteredaroundtheongoingCaseyOverpassProject,afour-lanedividedparkwayintheJamaicaPlainneighborhood,thatneedstoberemoved.
Boston’s Trafc Management Center
is aided by third-party data provided
by the navigation app Waze.
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 13
“We knew that [the removal] would present a challenge for not only the city of Boston but other municipal and state agencies that were involved in usage of that roadway,” Fiandaca say. “We were able to take the Waze reports and plot when we’d be likely to see trafc jams around that construction area and make changes to MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) schedules and to crosswalks, because some of the delays were being caused by pedestrian activity.”
She adds that as the project progressed, data analytics have been integral in the trafc management center’s strategy in developing mitigation techniques, from trafc signal timing to the deployment of trafc enforcement ofcers. By analyzing the data around the worksite, the city’s engineers can develop an informed and realistic plan to keep trafc fowing as efciently as possible.
Looking into Boston’s future, Fiandaca says data analytics will be important in realizing the mayor’s goal of becoming a Vision Zero City – with a primary objective of eliminating pedestrian fatalities at intersections. “We will be taking a data-driven approach to our intersection management [to achieve this goal], Fiandaca
says. “We’ll use data from our EMS systems, from Boston police and the Transportation Department to design safer intersections.”
“I think data analytics will continue to be critically important as we manage our transportation system,” Fiandaca concludes. “Rapid dissemination of highly accurate information will be critically important.”
Houston’s
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In 1996, Houston was looking for a way to monitor trafc
on its highways. At that time, the most reasonable solution was to monitor vehicles’ RFID toll tags. Houston has an extensive system of toll roads, and the saturation of tags in the feld made for a reliable data set. Measuring how long it took for one tag to
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14 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
travelbetweentwopointsgavethecity’sengineersadecentideaofhowquicklytrafcwasfowing.
However,toscalethesystemupwasquiteanexpensiveproposition.JefreyWeatherford,Houston’sTrafcOperationsDivision’sdeputydirector,saysthecitywaslookingatabout$90,000perscannerlocation.“WhenyoustartfguringthatthecityofHoustonrunsover640squaremilesand16,000lane-miles…Itveryquicklybecomescostprohibitive.”
Anothersolutionthecityconsideredwastoemploylicenseplatereaders.Tesereaders,Weatherfordsays,haveavarietyofapplicationsandcouldbeusedacrossdepartments,butagain,at$50,000perlocation,thecostsweresimplytoohigh.
“Sowekeptlooking,”Weatherfordsays.BypartneringwiththeTexasA+MTransportationInstitute,aworkablesolutioncametolight.“TeyweredoingresearchprojectsonbordercrossingsforpedestriansusingBluetooth,”hesays.WhileworkingwiththeInstitute,thecitycameupwiththeideathatthistechnologycouldpossiblybeadaptedtocalculatetraveltimesforvehicles.
Tecitystartedtestsin2009,andsawsuccessesalmostimmediately.Tedatacollectedwasrichandactionable,andthecostspersiteweredrasticallylowerthanpreviousoptions–about$1,000to$1,500persite.Teinitialtestareacoveredabout60squaremilesonthewestsideoftownandinvolvedabout250signalizedintersections,accordingtoWeatherford.“Weusedthattorefneourprocessesandfgureouthowtomakethesystemwork.”By2011,thefullsystemwasupandrunninginHouston.
“Whatwefoundwasthatthedatacollectedwasverysimilartothedatacollectedfromthetolltagreadersandotherdevices,”Weatherfordsays.“We’vesincehadaprojectwhereweexpanded[thesystem]toatotalof650locations–thatproject’sstillunderway.”WeatherfordestimatesthatbynextyearBluetoothreaderswillcoverallofthecity’smajorcorridors.
TesystemworksbyharvestingtheBluetoothsignalsoriginatingfromthedevicesdriversarecarryingwiththem,suchaslaptops,cellphonesandhands-freedevices.NewervehiclesmayalsohaveBluetoothconnectivityintegratedintotheirnavigation
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 15
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or stereo systems. Specifc signals are isolated and timed from one point to another, and the vehicle’s speed is determined. By performing this process in rapid succession throughout the course of the day, a complete picture of the city’s trafc patterns emerges.
One issue, Weatherford says, is that one vehicle may be putting of more than one Bluetooth signal at a time. “One problem we get into is, OK, my car has a Bluetooth signal, my phone has a Bluetooth signal, and I may have another device in the car that has one,” he says. “I may have three or four devices that have all got Bluetooth signals going out that we’re picking up.”
Te solution for this problem is by carefully crafting analytical tools to throw out meaningless data the redundancies can create, while holding on to and measuring the good data. Tese carefully calibrated tools have given Houston the ability to be highly accurate in their representations of trafc, as opposed to other systems such as Google Maps.
“[Te trafc data] we have in our system may difer from what Google may have,” says Weatherford, “but we’ve found through travel time studies that ours tends to more accurately refect what was happening at that time.”
Although the system has been hugely successful, there were some privacy concerns surrounding its implementation. Tere were echoes of 1984 when the city announced it would be gathering data from privately held devices en masse. However,
Weatherford says these concerns were quieted through public information campaigns, which detailed the extensive measures the city took to ensure data remain anonymous.
A typical Bluetooth address is a combination of a dozen numerals and letters; the city only reads six. “It’s really not trackable back to any individual device,” Weatherford says. What’s more, the entire system was built to forget its own records. “When you pass by point A, we collect your data. When you pass by point B, we do the match, fgure the time and we automatically drop the data from point A,” he adds.
For those still concerned about their privacy, there’s another simple way to completely opt out of the system, Weatherford says, by simply turning of the Bluetooth connectivity while driving.
In general, Weatherford says that eventually data analytics will make driving much safer – both in Houston and across the nation. As technology advances, and vehicles become more connected to one another as well as with their surrounding infrastructure, human error factors are going to become negligible. Red light running will become a thing of the past, and “Who knows? We may not even have trafc signals in the future. It may just be cars talking to cars and cars talking to roads.” He adds, “From a trafc safety standpoint, to me, where we end up in the future is just fascinating.”
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 17
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Products at work
Products that help governments keep streets clear of snow, gather crime evidence and keep public transit running on time are what you will fnd in the January GPN Products
at Work section. In this issue, read how the Boston public works department uses a dashboard-based GIS setup called SnowCOP to coordinate 700 snow and ice control vehicles as well as snow crews. SnowCOP is built on the Esri ArcGIS platform. (page 18).
In Boulder, Colo., police use Cellebrite’s UFED Link Analysis to unify, correlate and analyze large volumes of mobile device evidence and data (page 20).
Te Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) relies on 60 Ritron callboxes to help keep the system’s buses on schedule—for daily routes as well as maintenance (page 24).
Does your city or government agency have a product-related success story you’d like to spotlight? GPN gives communities and product manufacturers a place to shine in the Product at Work section. Contact Michael Keating at [email protected]
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18 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
products at workGPN:
Boston tracks snowplows with GIS-based SnowCOP to keep roads clear
Boston’spublicworksdepartmentusesadashboard-basedGISsystemtocoordinatesnowcrewsandmachinery.SnowCOPisaninterfaceapplicationthatallowscityofcialstomonitorupwardsof700snowandicecontrolvehiclesinrealtime,saysMikeDennehy,commissionerofBostonPublicWorks.
SnowCOP,whichstandsforSnowCommonOperatingPicture,reliesoncommercialof-the-shelftechnologyandprovidesreal-timevehiclemonitoringandanoperationsdatadashboard.ItusestheEsriArcGISplatform.TecitybeganconstructingSnowCOPin2012.
Tesystemprovidesacompletepictureofoperations,saysMattMayrl,formerdeputychiefinformationofcer.“WeusethesoftwareandtechnologytokeepaneyeonourcontractedsnowplowdriversandtoolstohelpusvisualizewhereconstituentsarecallingsowecangetsnowremovalservicestoBostonhomes.”
Mayrlexplainshowthesystemworks.“Tohelpourfeldstafmanagesnowoperationsinrealtime,webuiltSnowCOP.Overthecourseofastorm,wehave500to600plowspingingonceeachminutefor18hoursorlonger.Tedepartmentgathersahugeamountofdata
thathelpsclerksindistrictyardsmanageconstituentcallsandplowlocationsallinonecentrallocation.”Tesystemtracksalmost30,000streetsegmentsinthecity.
SnowCOPemploysautomaticvehiclelocatortechnologytodisplaythelocationsofBoston’ssnow-fghtingworkerswithreal-time311informationfromresidents.Usingthedashboard,citystafareabletotracksnowoperationsonallcitystreets,determininganddispatchingplowsandequipmenttothoseareasmostinneed.Alertsondevelopmentssuchasidleplowsorunplowedstreetsimmediatelydrawcityoperationsmanagers’attention,ensuringthattroublespotsaredealtwithasquicklyaspossible.
SnowCOPprovidesthepublicworksdepartmentwithajurisdiction-wideviewtoensureperformancestandardsaremetandgivespublicworksoperationsmanagersthefullperspectiveofperformanceintheirassignedmaintenancedistricts.
SnowCOPtakesadvantageoftheinteroperabilitybetweenin-memoryprocessingplatformSAPHANAandArcGIS.ArcGISfeedsandretrievescitydatafromHANA,providingasinglesourceofaccesstosnowoperationsforanalysis,visualizationanddecision-making.Overall,SnowCOPhashelpedBostonPublicWorkstogaincontroloverwinter.Esri: www.esri.com
20 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
GPN: products at work
New forensics approach speeds Colorado police investigations
T e ability to identify leads quickly matters during the f rst few hours of a police investigation. Finding additional witnesses, placing people in the same place at the same time, revealing communications between suspects and victims or corroborating statements can mean the dif erence between an investigation moving forward and stalling out.
By integrating the Cellebrite UFED Link Analysis tool into their forensics workf ow, the Boulder, Colo., police department has improved its ability to act during those f rst crucial hours.
“Mobile device evidence plays a critical role in almost every investigations we conduct,” says Boulder Detective Chuck Heidel. “Within its data exist the connections that can reveal the intent and motivation behind many crimes.”
T e system went live on July 31, 2014. In just six months after implementing UFED Link Analysis, the 25-detective department saved tens if not hundreds of hours in investigative time. Prior to its use, the process to uncover key connections within mobile data evidence involved hours and days of tedious and manual analysis that even then could still go undiscovered.
Part of the company’s UFED Series solutions, UFED Link Analysis allows users to unify, correlate and
analyze large volumes of disparate mobile data from multiple sources on a common platform. It speeds investigations by establishing relevant connections between suspects and victims. T e system aids in converting the data into actionable intelligence.
In one investigation involving a burglary that ended in homicide, linked data didn’t break the case, but the two suspects involved pled out when the data revealed the strength of the links between them. Additionally, it helped corroborate statements from witnesses placing the subjects together the night before, when the suspects were potentially planning the crime.
While the impact of this capability has certainly expedited time-sensitive cases, it has also proven useful in longer-term investigations.
“T e ability to distill a wealth of mobile data into meaningful formats is critical for detectives and prosecutors alike,” says Det. Heidel. “T e timeline feature, which combines all interactions between two or more people — call logs, text messages, mutual GPS locations — into a single view is extremely valuable and has dramatically improved our productivity.” Cellebrite: www.cellebrite.com
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 21
GPN: products at work
Maryland city saves on electricity with solar array
Pocomoke City, Md., calls itself “Te Friendliest Town on the Eastern Shore.” Now they can say that includes being environmentally friendly.
Te idea to put a 2.1-megawatt ground-mounted solar array on a 10-acre unused parcel of land adjacent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant originated with Mayor Bruce Morrison in 2013. Te plant became operational in January 2015.
City ofcials wanted to have the largest municipally hosted solar array in Maryland, and they selected a site they believed most suited to that goal. Ofcials then selected Standard Solar as the project developer, tasking them with maximizing the solar production from the pre-selected site. Te project faced some hurdles, but Standard Solar’s team explored and implemented solutions to successfully address and solve Pocomoke City’s challenges. Te company brought in SunEdison to fnance the deal. Environmental benefts of the system include saving 2,067 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Tis quantity equals emissions from 284 average American homes for a year, or the annual carbon ofset of a 1,639-acre forest.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the plant has been a help to the community’s budget. Te city is saving an estimated $52,000 per year (approximately 17 percent) on electricity costs. In addition to powering the city, the 6,150-panel array is also powering four of the city’s non-profts: the Delmarva Discovery Center, the MARVA Teater, the Samaritan Shelter and the Worcester County Developmental Center.
Under a 20-year power-purchase agreement with SunEdison, the city can more easily budget for its electricity use. Tis is because the agreement keeps power prices fxed for the life of the deal. Standard Solar: www.standardsolar.com
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GPN: products at work
California municipal website helps dispel rumors
With California facing one of the most severe droughts on record, Glendale, like most cities across the state, was in the process of developing tighter water conservation measures. But in 2014, a few areas that lagged behind still treated brown lawns as a misdemeanor.
When a well-read newspaper incorrectly reported that Glendale had issued a citation to a homeowner for not keeping their lawn green (when in reality it was another town with a similar name), Glendale’s proactive approach to public relations quickly proved its worth.
“We immediately turned to our website and put up a Rumor Page to get the facts out,” says Tom Lorenz, director of communications and community relations for Glendale. “Our website allowed us to push out the correct information to our community and the media in real time. T e newspaper corrected the story, and within an hour the whole thing was over.”
T e city’s website, www.glendaleca.gov, was designed by an online government team at Vision Internet. It was launched two years ago and features the content management system and responsive design that Glendale needs to bring proactive government to its tech-savvy population of nearly 200,000.
Using the website, citizens can access up-to-the-minute information in a format that f ts any mobile device. Additionally, the site’s social media connections, via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, make it a hub for citywide communications. Emergency f ash pages have been developed for instant posting to the site’s homepage, as well.
Glendale’s Rumor Page, which regularly distinguishes facts from f ction, is now one of the top 10 pages viewed on the site. Information is posted as soon as an incident arises. T e page shares the facts and includes links to supporting documents that provide additional information. Lorenz says posting that same information on social media helps the city create a “village of informed citizens” that can help set the record straight when misinformation begins to spread.
“In government you have police, f re, public works, parks and rec, and everything in between,” says Lorenz. “T e question is not if something will go wrong, it’s when something will go wrong. When it does, the trolls of the world want a reaction. But if you’re proactive, and make your website a trusted source, people will turn to it when hot-button issues arise and often become some of your strongest ambassadors.”Vision Internet: www.visioninternet.com
americancityandcounty.com|January2016 23
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South Carolina residents can reach dispatchers in several ways through new setup
Last January, Kershaw County became the frst agency in South Carolina to implement an advanced emergency 9-1-1 dispatch system. Te next generation 9-1-1 system from Motorola Solutions connects one county sherif department, one emergency medical services (EMS) department, three police departments and 17 fre departments. County dispatchers serve over 62,500 people with more than 100,000 calls a year.
Today, this system provides residents with multiple ways to reach 9-1-1 and it serves as a lifesaving solution when calling is not an option. Te setup ofers text-to-9-1-1 capabilities, which gives the hard of hearing and speech impaired the ability to call and communicate via text for help. It provides an option for those in danger who cannot speak, such as hostages or victims of domestic abuse.
“Now the hearing-impaired and voice-impaired residents who used to rely on cumbersome teletypewriter devices can use their cellphones to text 9-1-1,” says Kirk Stropes, deputy director, E-911 Communications, Kershaw County. “We had a message from a disabled citizen who needed assistance and another one from a woman who heard shots and didn’t want the gunman to hear her. She was able to text us from her bedroom.”
Te dispatch system was installed in two phases. First, the analog system was replaced with an Internet Protocol network, and in the second, new equipment was installed. “It was a very seamless switchover,” says Stropes.
For Kershaw County, the system will also pave the way for better voice capabilities, photos, video and crash notifcations from the public. For Stropes, next generation 9-1-1 will enhance the safety of citizens and save lives — his number one priority.Motorola Solutions: www.motorolasolutions.com
24 January 2016 | americancityandcounty.com
GPN: products at work
Texas transit agency uses wireless callboxes to ensure on-time performance
TeMetropolitanTransitAuthorityofHarrisCounty,Texas(METRO)recentlyfoundawaytokeeptheirbusesonschedule—fordailyroutesandmaintenance.
DerrickBlount,superintendentoftheauthority’sIntelligentTransportationServices(ITS),had60Ritroncallboxesinstalledintheyardswherebusesareparkedandmaintained.Tecallboxesallowdirect,real-timecommunicationbetweendriverandmaintenancepersonnel,thusstreamliningthemorningandafternoon“pullout.”Teunitshavehelpedimproveon-timerates,accordingtothemanufacturer.
METROowns1,262buses,spreadoversevenlots.Tismeansalotofmaintenancespreadoveralotof
acreage.Beforestartingtheirroutes,driversperformaroutinemaintenancecheck.Anyissuemustbereportedtomaintenancepersonnel.Withnodirectmeansofcontact,driverswouldcallthedispatcher,andtheinformationwouldbeginflteringthroughthechainofcommand.Tisbecamealengthyprocess.Often,driverswouldsimplyhikethroughthelotsearchingformaintenancepersonnel,causingunacceptableservicedelaysandincreasingdriverfrustration.
Asatest,METROpurchasedonecallbox,inFebruary2014.TeyprogrammedittotheirUHFradiofrequenciesandinstalleditinthelargestgarage.Tishelpedtoverifyrangeandcoveragethroughbuildingsandaroundthegrounds.Tesystemwasfullyimplementedinearly2015.
“WefoundtheUHFrangesufcient,andwewereabletoinstalliteasily—wejustinstalledbatteriesandprogrammedittomatchoursystem,”Blountexplains.
Atotalof62callboxeswerepurchased,whichareusedeveryday,mostfrequentlybetween4:30a.m.and7:00a.m.,and2:30p.m.and4:00p.m.—therushhoursforthegarages.TetotalcosttoMETROwas$40,000,butthereturnoninvestmentintermsofoperationefciencyishardertoquantify.
“Youcouldcalculatetheman-hourssavedduringthesearch,response,andrepairofbusesoversomedefnedperiodoftime.Youcan’tputapriceonbusoperatormorale,”saysBlount.
Witheasyaccesstodirect,instantcommunication,theprocessismoreefcientandstreamlined.METROisnowabletobettersticktoitsbuspulloutschedule—torunontimeandsafely.Ritron: www.ritron.com
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