The City of Atlanta announced an expanded research partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology, which has partnered with the City since 2015 to design, implement and study Smart City initiatives. 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 City of Atlanta has embraced Smart City technologies as tools to address urban challenges such as traffic congestion and promote public safety and environmental sustainability. The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved the agreement during its meeting Monday.

“I am proud to announce this expanded partnership between the City of Atlanta and the Georgia Institute of Technology,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “Over the past two years, Atlanta has emerged as a national Smart City leader because of our collaboration. With this agreement, leading researchers and students at Georgia Tech will be able to study and analyze data coming from motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and transit on North Avenue. The City will then be able to use their insights to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to manage congestion and promote safe, sustainable mobility options on this vital corridor.”

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.  

“We’re very excited about Georgia Tech’s role in Atlanta’s Smart City initiative along the North Avenue corridor,” said Georgia Tech President G. P. “Bud” Peterson. “By collecting and analyzing data and traffic patterns in the area immediately adjacent to our campus, our students, faculty, and staff can partner with the City of Atlanta to create a safer and more efficient place to live, work and play, while dramatically improving the overall quality of life in our community.”

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.