Following a two-year pilot program at 12 intersections along the M.L. King Boulevard smart corridor, Chattanooga will implement a new traffic management solution throughout the downtown area.
The $2 million contract with Ouster will deploy the company’s BlueCity solution at over 120 intersections in an attempt to improve roadway safety, manage congestion and reduce emissions.
BlueCity utilizes lidar technology. Lidar is short for light detection and ranging, according to The Associated Press. The BlueCity system shoots hundreds of light beams per second across intersections, generating a 3D map that illustrates the exact location of vehicles, pedestrians and all other roadway users at all times, Austin Harris said by phone.
Harris is the chief technology officer for the Center for Urban Informatics & Progress at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.