ITS4US Deployment Program Webinar

Paving the Way: Innovative Data Collection Methods for Sidewalk (or Pedestrian) Infrastructure

On behalf of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the University of Washington (UW), the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) ITS4US Deployment Program invites you to the upcoming webinar, Paving the Way: Innovative Data Collection Methods for Sidewalk (or Pedestrian) Infrastructure.

This webinar is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.

Date: 24 October 2024 
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET
Cost: Free of charge

Register Here

Webinar Topic

Paving the Way: Innovative Data Collection Methods for Sidewalk (or Pedestrian) Infrastructure
GDOT – Safe Trips in a Connected Transportation Network (ST-CTN)
UW – Transportation Data Equity Initiative (TDEI)

Join us for an insightful webinar hosted by the ITS JPO featuring the UW-TDEI and the GDOT ST-CTN ITS4US projects. This session will explore innovative methods for collecting and digitizing sidewalk data, aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety, mobility and access. Following overviews of the deployments focusing on their innovative data collections, there will be an interactive discussion where attendees can engage with the project teams about their work. Future deployers will gain valuable insights from the experiences and lessons learned by the ITS4US deployment teams.

Key Topics

• Introduction to UW-TDEI OpenSidewalks and GDOT’s Sidewalk Data Collection: Learn about the importance of detailed, accurate data on pedestrian spaces and how it supports equitable transportation planning.
• Innovative Techniques: Discover how the projects utilize scalable methods for acquiring sidewalk accessibility information using:
  • Crowdsourcing: Engaging the community to gather data through mobile apps and online platforms.
  • Video-based Data Collection and Inspections: Leveraging readily available video detection tools to collect and inspect sidewalk conditions.
  • Computer Vision: Using machine learning algorithms to analyze images and videos of sidewalks.
  • Online Map Imagery: Leveraging existing map data to extract and verify sidewalk information.
  • Field Surveys: Conducting on-site assessments to collect detailed measurements and observations.  
• Applications and Impact: Explore how collected data is used in real-world applications, such as accessible travel planners and navigation tools for people with disabilities, as well as decision-support tools for transportation and urban planners.

Presenters

Elina Zlotchenko, ITS4US Program Manager, ITS JPO
Anat Caspi, Director, Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, ITS4US UW-TDEI
Dr. Randy Guensler, Georgia Tech, ITS4US ST-CTN Pedestrian Impedance Lead

Background

The ITS4US Deployment Program, led by the ITS JPO at the U.S. DOT, expands access to transportation for all travelers with a specific focus on underserved communities, including people with disabilities, older adults, veterans, individuals of low income, people in rural communities and those with limited English proficiency. This program embodies the Administration’s priorities of transportation equity, economic growth, sustainability, and most importantly, compassion and inclusivity. The program funds multiple large-scale replicable deployments in three phases:

• Phase 1: concept development
• Phase 2: design and testing
• Phase 3: operations and evaluation.

In June 2022, the deployment sites completed the concept development phase of each of their projects. The U.S. DOT awarded four teams with Phase 2 funding to support the design and testing of their projects based on their Phase 1 concepts. The four deployment sites are:

• GDOT
• Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency
• Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority/Buffalo
• UW

For more details on the ITS4US Deployment program, see the program’s website at: https://its.dot.gov/its4us/.

ITS JPO is hosting a series of free, public webinars to allow each of the four Phase 2 deployment sites to publicly share topics and experiences that would be of interest to deployers considering innovative technology solutions to solve mobility challenges of underserved communities. These webinars will be an opportunity for each site to discuss their experiences during the Design/Build Test/Phase and engage the broader ITS4US Deployment Program Community about their efforts so far in Phase 2. At the end of the presentation, there will be an opportunity for the audience to ask the site questions about their project. Future deployers can benefit from lessons learned and experiences from the ITS4US deployment teams.

Please use this link to register for the webinar. Live closed captioning will be provided for all webinars. When registering for the webinar, you will be able to request additional accessibility accommodations to participate. The deadline to request accommodations for each webinar will be 5 business days prior to the live event.

Posted 9/23/24