A new system that detects and measures pedestrian activity at traffic intersections has been unveiled and demonstrated at the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California, held on August 14-16.
Iteris, a leading developer of applied informatics for transportation systems, is adding new pedestrian measurement capabilities to its industry-leading advanced video detection platforms that already include the world’s first bicycle detection and differentiation feature, SmartCycle.
The company’s new PedTrax computer vision technology automates measurement of the number, direction and speed of pedestrians at crosswalks to provide insights into levels of street life.
With PedTrax, transportation professionals and officials can make cities safer for pedestrians, with better-informed decisions based on foot traffic volume, direction and speed, to optimize intersection signal timing and to inform proactive improvements to signage and striping, intersection design, overpass locations, school crossing guard deployment, and even economic development programs. Automated counting of the number and speed of pedestrians provides better on-screen reporting in traffic control centers.
PedTrax presents reliable, current data for grant applications and performance monitoring, with documented down-to-the-minute, as well as seasonal trends in pedestrian traffic patterns. The data and analytics supplied by PedTrax, along with SmartCycle, can inform agencies where roadway operations should be made more pedestrian- or bicycle-friendly, contributing to safer and more livable communities.
The new PedTrax pedestrian measurement algorithm will be pre-installed on all new Iteris Vantage detection systems, and will be available as a free firmware upgrade to existing Edge2 and Vantage Next systems customers that employ the latest hardware revisions. This computer vision advancement is the latest in a series of new intersection camera and processor updates that Iteris has brought to its transportation customers recently.
The company was also recently awarded a US$2.1m traffic signal synchronization project from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in California, and a US$19m, five-year contract to expand its training program with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the National Highway Institute (NHI) for safer, more efficient and smarter transportation.
“Complete Streets embrace active transportation modes, including walking and cycling, and their management is more effective with a performance-based approach for street measurements. As cities look at our streets from the view of everyone who actually uses them, getting an accurate and comprehensive view of pedestrian activity can be difficult, costly and time-consuming,” said Todd Kreter, senior vice president and general manager of roadway sensors at Iteris.
“Our engineers designed this new PedTrax computer vision technology for automated pedestrian measurement at intersections to improve safety and mobility, without the need for new equipment installation.”
