Cox Communications is piloting its smart kerbside management technology in the city of Las Vegas with the aim of reducing downtown traffic congestion.

Covering six parking spots along the pavement next to the 100 block of Main Street are two digital kiosks that use video analytics and smart parking technology to manage active kerb loading zones for taxis and rideshares, making conditions safer for visitors and pedestrians.

“The city is working on a variety of smart and innovative public-private partnerships, just like this one,” said Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman. “We appreciate Cox for their out-of-the-box thinking and assistance as we work together to ease traffic congestion in our downtown. It’s ideas like this one that will move our city into the future.”

Video analytics from devices along the kerb will capture vehicle and licence plate information and send the data to the kiosks to kick off a countdown timer. If a vehicle remains in the loading zone after the countdown ends, the system reports the incident directly to the city, ensuring a constant flow of traffic.

“Our relationship with the communities of southern Nevada runs deep and developing the pilot programme with the city of Las Vegas has been a huge step forward in exploring what we can do with smart community technology,” said Derrick Hill, vice president of Cox. “We are absolutely committed to improving the way of life for southern Nevadans, and we’re proud to be partnering with the city to utilise strategic technology to enhance the overall visitor experience.”

On the backend, the Cox platform provides cloud processing of traffic flow information, an on-screen interface to display vehicle information, and an online portal to report traffic flows and pedestrian counts.

“Installing the kerbside management kiosks demonstrates the innovation that Las Vegas is pursuing to create a smarter ecosystem for visitors and residents,” said Barak Weinisman, vice president at Cox2M. “We look forward to working with the city to help ease traffic flow and showcase how kiosks can enable visitor engagement.”

Additionally, Cox is exploring the placement of advertisements on the kiosks and how that can provide local businesses with brand presence in vibrant downtown Las Vegas.

“We are excited to be part of the technology that moves Las Vegas forward as a smart city,” said Tonya Ruby, vice president at Cox Media. “Cox Media is all about finding solutions for local businesses and these kiosks are another way we can deliver relevant messages to residents and visitors.”

After weeks of testing, installation is completed. The six-month pilot began this month, with the potential to resume upon successful operation.

Cox Communications is the largest private telecoms company in America, serving six million homes and businesses across 18 states. Its Cox2M subsidiary is enabling connected environments by providing commercial IoT services to businesses and communities. Cox Media is its advertising sales division.