Introducing Your Curb’s Digital Twin
How can cities begin leveraging sensor and camera data for real-time views of curbs?
Cities, large and small, are investing in new technologies to gain a better understanding of curb activity. As urban areas become more congested, transportation planners and parking managers are increasingly turning to sensors and cameras to monitor real-time conditions. According to recent studies, up to 30% of urban traffic is caused by drivers circling in search of parking, significantly contributing to congestion and emissions. Cities are rapidly adopting sensor technology to streamline curb management and reduce traffic.
And this trend is only expected to accelerate in coming years, particularly as the hardware and technology behind it has continued to advance. This market growth highlights the increasing recognition among city planners of the value that real-time data brings to curb management, particularly in high-density neighborhoods.
It Isn’t One Size Fits All: Choosing the Right Sensors for Your City
The adoption of curb management technology is becoming more prevalent, especially in areas with high demand. For example, in Los Angeles, the deployment of AI-powered cameras on Metro buses led to a 30% increase in parking compliance. This initiative not only improved traffic conditions but also enhanced revenue from parking fines.
When considering solutions to deploy, cities should evaluate factors like congestion levels, curbside demand, and enforcement priorities. Selecting the right combination of overhead cameras, in-ground sensors, or vehicle-mounted cameras depends on the specific use case and challenges faced by the city. For instance, overhead cameras are ideal for monitoring multiple parking spaces in dense urban areas where visibility across multiple lanes is crucial—they provide a broad perspective that is particularly useful for congested downtown zones. In-ground sensors, on the other hand, are well-suited for individual parking spots where granular, hyper-accurate data is needed, such as short-term loading zones or accessible parking. These sensors can provide highly specific insights about vehicle presence and turnover. Vehicle-mounted cameras (such as those installed on enforcement vehicles or buses) can be effective for mobile monitoring and enforcement, covering larger areas in real-time, especially in cities that require flexible or roving enforcement in mixed-use zones.
Ultimately, choosing the right mix of technologies comes down to the specific objectives—whether it’s optimizing enforcement, improving parking availability, or managing specialized zones. Cities that invest strategically in these technologies often see significant returns in terms of improved parking compliance, efficient allocation of curbside space, and increased revenue.
Unlocking the Power of Data: Creating a Digital Twin of Your Curbs
One of the most compelling advantages of deploying sensors and cameras is access to vast amounts of real-time data. Unlike traditional manual methods or spot-check surveys, sensor networks offer a continuous feed of insights that can be used to monitor curb activity at scale. This opens up new opportunities for cities to build a “digital twin” of their curbs—an interactive digital representation that captures the dynamics of curb use in near real-time.
With a digital twin, cities can model curb activity, analyze trends, and make more data-informed decisions. For example, understanding occupancy rates and turnover times helps cities ensure that spaces are being used efficiently and that regulations of the space are aligned with strategic goals. If certain areas are consistently overcrowded, planners can adjust policies or reallocate spaces to alleviate pressure. Moreover, by integrating this data into platforms like Curb Manager: Parking Insights, cities gain even deeper insights into paid versus actual usage, supporting revenue optimization and policy enforcement.
Making More Informed Decisions: Stories from Real Cities
Access to real-time data allows cities to move from reactive management to proactive strategies. Let’s take a look at two cities that are already seeing the benefits of these technologies:
Miami, Florida: The Miami Parking Authority has deployed cameras in the highly congested downtown area to support proactive enforcement of curb regulations. By integrating these feeds into Populus's Curb Manager, Miami has gained a new layer of visibility into occupancy trends. This not only helps the city enforce parking regulations more effectively but also provides a wealth of data to inform future decisions, such as adjusting parking rates or redesigning curb spaces to better match demand.
Walnut Creek, California: The City of Walnut Creek leverages in-ground sensors to monitor activity in designated 15-minute loading/unloading zones in its downtown core, primarily used by food delivery services. The data collected helps the city assess whether current curb allocations are sufficient or if additional space is needed to support this growing demand. Additionally, robust data insights enable the city to consider revenue impacts if adjustments are made to the pricing of these spaces, ensuring that decisions are both data-driven and fiscally responsible.
Taking the Data Further: Empowering Stakeholders with Real-Time Curb Data
Cities can unlock even more value from curb management technologies by making real-time data accessible to key stakeholders—like delivery companies, ride-hailing services, and navigation apps—through a trusted partner like Populus. Rather than managing complex data integrations in-house, cities can rely on Populus to host and deploy secure APIs that broadcast real-time curb availability, parking occupancy, and loading zone data.
By utilizing Populus’s API infrastructure, cities can seamlessly share crucial curb insights with third-party services, enabling them to optimize their operations. For example, sharing real-time data on available loading zones can reduce the time delivery drivers spend circling for parking, which studies have shown can cut down parking search times by up to 43%. This not only improves traffic flow but also helps decrease congestion and emissions in busy urban areas.
Furthermore, by minimizing the time vehicles spend idling while searching for parking, cities can experience a 7-12% reduction in vehicle emissions. By providing a centralized, reliable source of real-time information, Populus enables cities to enhance efficiency and meet their sustainability goals, all while reducing the burden of managing technical infrastructure internally. In an increasingly data-driven world, partnering with Populus ensures that cities can stay agile, responsive, and forward-thinking in managing their curbs and streets.
A Path to Smarter Curb Management
As cities modernize their curb management strategies, Populus is here to help. By aggregating data from sensors, cameras, and transaction records, we enable cities to gain a comprehensive view of curbside activity and make the most of these important infrastructure investments.
Whether you’re looking to monitor parking occupancy, optimize loading zones, or reduce congestion, Populus provides the insights and tools to make your city’s curbs more efficient, accessible, and sustainable. Reach out to us to learn how we can support your city in taking the next step toward smarter, data-driven curb management.