Smart Technology Rolling Fremont Toward an Autonomous Future
The year is 2047. The elusive, wheel-less hoverboards that we’ve all been hoping for since “Back to the Future” premiered are zooming around Capitol Avenue. Shiny, silver jumpsuits are the latest fashion craze. And, most importantly, Fremont is leading the way in Smart City solutions.
That’s the vision behind Fremont’s Smart City Action Plan. (Well, maybe not the first two, but you get the picture.)
With contributions from the CivicMakers team and Fremont staff of all levels, this plan will guide the City as it becomes smarter, safer, and more sustainable.
Take a look at our plans for autonomous, electric shuttles.
“First and last mile” transit has always been an issue in suburban cities. Those short car trips to the BART station, grocery store, or office will be a thing of the past when we deploy this new fleet of shuttles.
And because finding a parking spot on a busy day at Pacific Commons can feel like an “Old Western” showdown, we’re also planning a smart parking lot that uses connected sensors to provide real-time information on availability as well as autonomous parking services. Say goodbye to pointless idling and driver stare-downs.
We know Rome (and Fremont) weren’t built in a day.
That’s why we’re not wasting any time setting this plan into motion. We’ve already taken the first steps to provide smart services today.
Our City infrastructure features smart traffic signals that minimize stops and delays by using detectors built into the pavement, as well as video detection cameras and adaptive signal technology. We’re kicking it up a gear or two with new partnerships with Traffic Technology Services (TTS) and HAAS Alert.
Essentially, TTS allows City traffic signals to “talk to” smart vehicles. This partnership will allow equipped vehicles to receive communications and messages from Fremont traffic signals via a cloud service and cellular connection. HAAS Alert will deliver real-time safety alerts to motorists via navigation apps as well as equipped Fire Department vehicles responding to emergency calls.
We’ve got crime and disaster security covered, too. Residents can subscribe to real-time updates on anything from structure fires to traffic delay alerts from the Fremont Fire and Police Departments via the PulsePoint and Nixle notification systems.
In the future, smart technologies will not only act as a mouthpiece, but also as the first line of defense.
We plan to leverage big data, sensors, and community partnerships for real-time crime monitoring, predictive policing, and as a way to triage emergencies to prevent fire, eliminate crime, and connect our vulnerable communities to services.
A 10-mile segment of Fremont Boulevard will soon be transformed into our first safe and smart corridor. The latest technology, including sensor-based and vehicle-to-everything infrastructure, will be installed to achieve a number of objectives for the corridor, including traffic safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
This living, breathing, for lack of a better word, “smart” plan will likely see many changes as we adapt to technology that hasn’t even been dreamed up yet. We’re no fortunetellers, but we can tell you that this plan is moving us in the right direction.