Monessen selected for traffic project
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
Carnegie Mellon University has chosen Monessen as one of three recipients of its third Smart Mobility Challenge.
Traffic21, a research institute operated out of CMU’s Heinz College of Information Systems, and Public Policy and Mobility21, its affiliated U.S. Department of Transportation National University Transportation Center in the College of Engineering, sponsored this year’s challenge to continue its mission of transforming the region into a leader in mobility innovation.
In Monessen, work will expand on the current comprehensive plan and other initiatives related to mobility, equity and safety, focused on mid-downtown Monessen.
CMU will provide urban design and computer vision expertise. It will deploy cameras for visual data, develop computer vision algorithms to analyze data and develop mobility/urban design recommendations, based on date collected, to identify local priorities.
Monessen Mayor Shorraw is excited about the potential partnership.
“It is my hope that this opportunity will give us the tools to improve mobility in our downtown, which will be beneficial for businesses and residents, as well as visitors, “Shorraw said. “This research could lead to improvements for pedestrians, motorists, buses and bicyclists.
“… Making those improvements could allow us to make downtown Monessen more successful and marketable in the long term.”
Shorraw said there’s no cost to the city for the work being done.
“The funding on CMU’s end supports faculty and students in applying cutting-edge intelligent transportation systems technology to real-world mobility problems submitted as part of this request,” he said.
When the study is complete, the city will be updated and will receive written and verbal reports.
“This report will be like a more in-depth version of the city’s current comprehensive plan,” Shorraw said.
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