What are Pilot Projects?
The Smart Mobility Program uses pilots to test new technologies for full scale deployment. Pilots are short term, low-budget initiatives that allow staff to understand the opportunities and risks of innovative ideas to increase their positive impact on the community. These pilots follow the Smart Mobility Program's "Guiding Principles" of Safety, Mobility, Forward-Looking, Sustainability, Traffic Management, and Transparency. On this page, you'll find a living list of the current pilot deployments and details about each one.
Current Pilot Projects
VTTI Smart Intersections Pilot
In collaboration with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), Alexandria is studying the safety trends and traffic patterns at the corner of Potomac Avenue and E Glebe Road. This pilot has deployed five different devices at this intersection that detect near misses and turning movement counts. After one year, Alexandria will be able to compare the effectiveness of each device and quantify the safety and efficiency of the intersection.
Curb Data Specifications
Alexandria's curbs are a valuable and scarce resource. But it can be difficult to understand and communicate the intended use of a curb segment, and the resulting confusion hinders their use for everyone. This project will build a digital map of Alexandria's curb space that can be used to communicate curb regulation and measure how curbs are being used around the city.
AI Road Safety & Traffic Counts
New technology is able to use camera feeds to automatically analyze travel conditions. Artificial intelligence can help traffic engineers track turning movement counts faster, cheaper, and more safely, and machine learning can detect unsafe intersections before collisions actually occur. Alexandria is testing two devices that can be moved to different intersections as analysis is needed.
