Jerrod KingeryThe nonprofit Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA) is launching a challenge to find innovative solutions to enhance transportation visibility in Miami-Dade County.
This fourth Public Innovation Challenge is seeking early-to-growth state startups with solutions leveraging advanced technology like sensors, cameras and AI and machine learning to enhance traffic visibility and management across roads, sidewalks and other public spaces.
These solutions must exhibit a valuable impact on nontraditional commuting patterns or special events, such as Miami Art Week, Art Basel Miami or major sporting events.
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The challenge’s collaborators include the Miami-Dade’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) and Office of Innovation and Economic Development (OIED), CoMotion and Transit Alliance Miami.
MDIA says the insight from solutions proposed by challenge participants could enhance traffic management, reduce congestion and make public transit more efficient to the benefit of members of the community and those visiting for special events.
The challenge focuses on these key areas of transportation:
- Personal vehicle mobility: The challenge seeks solutions to reroute vehicles or provide key insights, especially in response to special events or abnormalities such as construction or accidents.
- Pedestrian movement: The challenge is looking for solutions to deepen understanding of the movement of people and their transportation needs, focusing on making travel safer and more efficient during special events.
- Public transportation efficiency: The challenge seeks solutions to track routes and arrival/departure times, along with adaptive signals and signal priority for public transportation, specifically buses.
- General road usage: The challenge is looking for solutions that leverage publicly available spatial and transit data in order to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion.
The challenge runs through Nov. 22, 2024. MDIA and DTPW will select at least three tech startups to receive $100,000 in funding to test and validate their solutions alongside DTPW.
An online information session will be held on Oct. 17. The application review process will take six to eight weeks and the top 10 finalist interviews will take place in late January to early February 2025.
The application and more information can be found online here.
Photo courtesy Ed Webster
