City recognized with international award for Smart City Initiative
Sarasota, FL: The City of Sarasota was recognized by Smart Cities Connect with a Smart 20 Award for its Smart City Initiative in April at the Smart Cities Connect annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.
The Smart City Initiative, a coordinated effort to achieve resiliency, improve connectivity, and invest in Sarasota’s future, includes pedestrian and traffic safety data, real-time beach and red tide monitoring technology, and a program providing free Wi-Fi in four City parks.
“We’re thrilled that Sarasota’s Smart City Initiative was recognized with a Smart 20 Award,” said City Engineer Nikesh Patel. “This initiative’s goal is to carry Sarasota towards the future while allowing for more efficient and data driven decision making. We’ve seen promising and encouraging results as the initiative has taken shape, including increased precision in pinpointing areas for traffic calming, bicycle and pedestrian safety issues, resiliency efforts, and much more.”
The initiative includes:
Bicycle and pedestrian safety; traffic calming
Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) camera technology, which can detect and report a wide range of safety issues, has been installed at 16 of 93 City intersections. A traffic-calming data program, focusing on roadway usage and traffic patterns, is in use citywide, allowing for traffic signal adjustments and assisting City staff in making data-driven traffic calming decisions.
Beach conditions; red tide monitoring
The real-time beach conditions and red tide monitoring system, operated in partnership with Mote Marine Laboratory, gives residents and visitors alike the ability to access real-time reports at www.VisitBeaches.org. Users can access data from up to 17 locations within Sarasota City limits, including information about beach conditions, weather, surf, and crowd size.
Wi-Fi in the Parks
Free, high-speed internet is available in four City parks: Arlington Park, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, Payne Park, and Bayfront Park, promoting equitable access to internet services.
High-speed fiber optic lines have been installed in key areas across the City to support additional Smart City technology as well as assist municipal and emergency communications and traffic control.
Visit the Smart City Initiative webpage for more information.
Media contact: News@sarasotafl.gov
Media Contact: News@sarasotafl.gov
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About the City of Sarasota: Distinguished by U.S. News and World Report as the No. 11 Best Place to Live in the U.S. and a top place in Florida, the City of Sarasota is a diverse and inclusive community located on Florida’s Suncoast with 55,000 year-round residents, several internationally recognized cultural arts venues, stunning sunsets along Lido Beach, newly restored Donald Ross-designed municipal golf course, and Major League spring training baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. Learn more about us at www.SarasotaFL.Gov
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