3 days ago
This vehicle will help the City of Ottawa better manage traffic
A City of Ottawa vehicle with a mounted camera will be capturing data to help city staff improve traffic infrastructure. (City of Ottawa/Provided)
Residents might notice a City of Ottawa vehicle with a mounted camera driving around this summer.
The city's mobile mapping unit will be going around Ottawa to capture imagery and data to plan and improve traffic infrastructure.
The SUV, mounted with precision 360-degree cameras and LiDAR sensors, will help city staff plan and create a digital inventory of traffic assets as part of the Mobile Mapping of Traffic Infrastructure Project.
'The collected data is then processed and analyzed to create a comprehensive inventory of assets such as traffic lights, signage, paint lines and other traffic-related infrastructure,' the city says on its website.
'This initiative leverages new technologies to improve data accuracy, reduce repeat site visits by City staff and lower operational costs in managing the City's traffic assets. It aims to enhance the quality of traffic infrastructure by improving the quality and timeliness of information used for planning upgrades and repairs.'
The mobile mapping unit will be gathering its data throughout the city until August.
Personal information, including images of identifiable individuals and licence plates, will not be held.
The city has used similar technology to create a 3D interactive map that visualizes potential future development as part of the New Zoning Bylaw.
