When it comes to designing safer streets for all users, accurate information is crucial. The engineers and safety experts who design the streets need to know how people use the streets, including where people typically walk, bike and drive. They need to know how fast people are driving and where pedestrians typically cross the streets. In the past, gathering this information was laborious and time-consuming. But now thanks to new sensor technology, it has become much easier to gather data that give insight into how people are traveling on our streets and highlights potentially dangerous locations. With the information provided by these sensors, traffic and safety engineers can produce better street designs. The Smart City PDX Traffic Safety Sensor Project will pilot the use of these sensors on three of Portland's most dangerous streets: 122nd, Hawthorne and Division. PBOT staff will use the sensor information to make recommendations about future changes to make is easier for people to travel safely along these and other Portland streets.

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