The city of Omaha late last year partnered with a tech company to track and analyze traffic at the city’s curbs with the goal of reducing congestion in some of the urban core’s busiest commercial areas.
Soon, that partnership could start generating revenue by charging users of loading zones and curbsides monitored by the company’s cameras, according to an agreement slated to head before Omaha City Council next month. It comes amid broader concerns regarding the use of surveillance technology in the city.
The process is “just one small part of the bigger picture†effort to address increasingly crowded curbsides, said Ken Smith, the city’s parking and mobility manager. Omaha, like others cities, has experienced growing congestion, with delivery trucks, ride share providers and pedestrian traffic all contributing to the problem.
“It’s really about leaning toward a healthy parking ecosystem where drivers can more easily and safely get in and out of the downtown or other commercial areas,†Smith said.
In December, officials announced that Omaha was an awardee of Automotus’ 2022 Commercial Curb Challenge. The company said it would work with the city to provide up to $500,000 worth of curb use data, real-time curb availability and automated, pay-by-the-minute access to designated smart loading zones for commercial vehicles.
Automotus, which was founded in 2017, offers those services through a camera system that uses artificial intelligence and algorithms to view the amount of time vehicles spend in certain areas and what kind of vehicles are using curb space.
The company offers up to 100 cameras through the pilot program, but the city currently has about 22 in use mainly in the downtown area, Smith said. Areas where the cameras are installed are known as “smart loading zones.â€
Next month, the city will considering solidifying some of Automotus’ services through a formal agreement.
Under the agreement, the city would collect revenue from participating fleets and drivers using an automated invoicing system that will reference license plates of vehicles parked in the smart loading zones and will charge either by a per-vehicle fee or on a per-minute basis.
Of the revenue generated by the monitored zones, 30% would be shared with Automotus. The city would also pay $7,500 a year for any smart loading zones that will not charge for vehicle use, according to the proposed agreement.
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The city’s parking division has a goal of implementing the zones by the end of the year, Smith said.
Council members originally considered the agreement and multiple accompanying ordinances on Aug. 16, but Councilwoman Aimee Melton raised objections and requested the council reconsider the items.
Her request came after extensive debate over an agreement that would have allowed the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to install license plate readers on city streets. That proposal faced significant pushback from some council members and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska over concerns about surveillance.
ultimately withdrew the proposal due to a lack of support from the council.
Melton said she had similar concerns regarding the agreement with Automotus.
“I think there are significant issues that we can discuss and we should discuss,†she said.
According to the proposed agreement, the city will own all data and information collected by Autonomous, and data will be permanently deleted within 24 hours of capture unless and information gathered is connected to a parking law violation.
The technology doesn’t store or share personal, identifiable information, and data cannot be sold to any third party, according to a press release from Automotus.
Smith told The World-Herald that the use of Automotus cameras is crucial to developing a plan for Omaha’s curbside traffic.
“With loading zones, you can’t have a person just sit there and watch things 24/7,†Smith said. “The cameras allow us to create that efficiency and a level of safety that we want for the streets and the curb.â€
The council is scheduled to consider the agreement Sept. 13.
Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of August 2022