CREATE A PRESENTATION TO PITCH A DETAILED PROPOSAL TO KEY STAKEHOLDERS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS TO ENHANCE ORG’S OUTCOMES
include: problem, context, solution, spotlight of solution, overcoming difficulties, benefits
3.5 minutes
facts, statistics is necessary
- Be visual : 1 picture = 1000 words
- Express key points and be clear -
4-6 slides
reference be footer
Final presentation:
Creatively Visualize the idea, mock of dashboard, compare outcome
How convinces the government
Make a pitch, tell a story, the city as it was before（reference,data）why we care introduce solution, and what it could be possible: less congestion, less pollution, less noise?
This is the story in … who is already address this, what could look like,
Which China already map out,
Story of city
Solution and challenges
Story of future
Facts, statistics, why problem
Role redumency, 50 people have but only two are doing things
Problem, solution, how future going on
Problem intro, background, intro the solution, showcase the solution, describe the benefits
Proposal solution with vision
Details with statistics
Here is how other cities do that
Nice and clear slide 4-6 slides
Final: footer and reference page
,
1
Memorandum
To: Commissioner, NYCdot.
From: Student Name
Organizational Analysis and Equity Assessment
The purpose of the memo is to propose strategies and program for the New York City Department of Transport (NYCdot) that is significant in addressing the challenge of traffic congestion in New York City, especially during rush hours.
Introduction
The information about the NYCdot mandates in the transport industry includes ensuring that New York's traffic flows, especially during peak hours. The statistics indicate that there is still a challenge in New York City regarding traffic congestion during peak hours, which showcases that the outcome from NYCdot is not satisfying to road users. Huge, rapidly growing cities like New York and others worldwide will inevitably experience a rise in traffic congestion. Because of the way modern societies are structured, rush-hour traffic is unavoidable. It is a consequence of people's insatiable need to get where they are going, which causes daily gridlock on the world's roadways and public transportation networks. Nonetheless, traffic congestion has worsened despite attempts to improve the situation. The NYCdot commissioner should consider increasingly leveraging data analytics and technology to make its operations and interventions more effective and significant in having a good outcome (Zheng, 2017). Congestion in New York City during peak hours harms the state and federal government revenue generation. This demands that the problem be addressed more innovatively to have an amazing outcome. The executive commissioner should consider the adoption of the "Robot lanes traffic" as a data analytic and technological intervention that has been adopted in Shenzhen, China.
Current Outcomes
Many obstacles have arisen recently for NYCdot as it has attempted to address the city's peak-hour traffic congestion issues. Several measures were taken in an effort to ease traffic congestion. More people are thinking about walking and biking as a result of the intervention, and there are lanes specifically for those modes of transportation, but this has not resulted in fewer cars on the road. More people now have automobiles thanks to an expansion of the road system, which presents a new problem during rush hour. The use of AI and real-time data is another important intervention since it informs drivers of the weather, any accidents, and the best alternate routes to avoid any congestion that could have been avoided. The city's traffic, especially during rush hour when it's at its worst, still has some way to go before it can be reduced. Through the use of GPS tracking, NYCdot is able to evaluate the efficacy of its interventions by comparing the actual time it takes for vehicles to reach their destinations with the desired time (Zheng, 2017). There is also the measure of interviewing the motorists about the traffic flow during peak hours in New York, and their feedback is then analyzed to get the details of the effectiveness of the interventions. The solutions have served a few problems experienced in New York City, including reducing general traffic that is experienced, especially during the day but the peak hours traffic jam is still a challenge.
Equitable Outcomes
NYCdot executive including the commissioner has demonstrated significant maturity regarding hiring its staff and the professionalism in having leaders in place. For an extended period, the company has maintained good leadership skills where diversity in the workplace is prioritized. This has led to brilliant intellectuals who are currently determined to employ more data analytics to address the challenges in place. NYCdot has shown the importance of stakeholder partnership and involvement, which brings about equity in valuing the contribution of all the stakeholders, including the employees, making it possible for the interventions to succeed. The commissioner of NYCdot should consider putting more effort towards ensuring that the organization serves the interest of all, especially in the transport sector where pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists are not discriminated against when interventions are adopted.
Lane Robot Traffic
Lane Robot traffic is the proposed new technology that is characterized as effective for NYCdot to adopt and change New York City for the best, especially during peak hours. The Lane robot traffic uses technology to manage "reversible lanes," in which traffic flow can be reversed depending on conditions like rush hours. It is characterized by the guardrail having the ability to shift lanes of traffic as needed. The technology is the best for New York's notorious traffic during the rush hour, especially in the morning and evening (Zheng, 2017). The technology has been reported to have been adopted and implemented in Shenzhen, China. Along Shennan Road, the city's main east-west highway, the Shenzhen traffic police have deployed an army of 'lane robots' to manage a stretch of reversible lanes during rush hour. The method reduces the need for police officers to be on duty for extended periods during peak times in the morning and evening, but it also highlights the danger that robots bring to human jobs. The statistics have demonstrated that the number of vehicles on New York roads doubles during rush hours and demands for an intervention that clears the traffic and this would be effective using the robot lanes that allow cars to use complete lanes in the morning and the opposite in the evening to clear jam out of New York central district. The commissioner of NYCdot should consider the technology and data analytics strategy in solving the problem of traffic jams experienced in New York. Looking into the technology makes it possible that in scenarios where the vehicles that are heading away of the city in the morning are less compared, and most of the lanes that are moving out of the city are reduced and replaced with cars heading the city to clear the traffic and ease congestion (Zheng, 2017). Using the robots makes it more effective because they change the direction and guide the motorists about the lanes to use by moving the guard rails to open up or closing the lanes.
Current Team
The current NYCdot team headed by the commissioner has already started adopting the data and tech-driven approaches, which would contribute to growth in traffic management in New York. According to IBM research, 66 percent of companies that use big data say it gives them a competitive edge in the marketplace (IBM Corporation, 2014). The transportation sector is experiencing similar issues requiring significant data to address the challenges experienced, including traffic congestion during peak hours. The commissioner should be flexible enough to adopt data analytics and technology to develop innovative solutions to traffic jams during rush hours. It is demonstrated that the NYCdot in New York City might benefit from implementing big data analytics into their daily operations. It also shows how data visualization may assist improve stakeholder relationships, boost organizational performance, increase corporate transparency, reduce customer complaints, and boost efficiency (Abeyratne & Halgamuge, 2020). Several sections of this study also show that NYCdot has needed help utilizing big data analytics to detect internal issues and develop appropriate remedies. NYCdot should rely on data analytics and technology in considering robot lane traffic intervention that is already in use in China to bring a significant change in the city (Wu & Wang, 2014). Data analytics is there to prove a point, especially since more effort should be directed toward ensuring that the robot lane technology is a success.
SWOT Analysis
NYCdot s primary function is to manage the City's transportation system so that people, products, and vehicles can travel on its roads, highways, bridges, and waterways in a fashion that is safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible.
Strengths
· Conveniently located to public transportation.
· The Belt Parkway is available.
· Proximity to a shopping mecca.
Weaknesses
· There is a lack of rapid bus service.
· Certain streets are in disrepair.
· The subway, boardwalk, and beach should all be accessible to people using wheelchairs.
· Parking is extremely limited at Keyspan Park.
Opportunities
· Better connect Brooklyn and Queens with more frequent train service.
· Restore fast train service on the F and Q lines.
· The increase the number of bus routes (provide direct service).
· Considering adoption of lane robot to facilitate movement during rush hour.
Early Adopters
The technology has been reported to have been adopted and implemented in Shenzhen, China. The robot lane traffic technology has been reported to have been adopted in China, and a positive reputation is associated with it. The characteristics of its implementation are that traffic police are removed from the road of Shennan where the robots were effective, and a remote was just used to move the guard rails to allow a given lane or restrict it based on the data received about the traffic flow. In a direction where the traffic is high is when an additional route is allocated from the lane moving in the opposite direction being changed to clear the slow traffic.
Stakeholder Relationship and Big Data in NYCdot
The commissioner and managers at the NYCdot must cater to the wants of the people who support the agency the most and its stakeholders. Incorporating big data analytics into NYCdot operations would help management foster stronger bonds with employees. Workers, directors, subcontractors, and suppliers are all examples of stakeholders. Here, the organization should design NYCdot apps that would aid enhance its engagement with internal stakeholders in the same way it has with external stakeholders. One way to do this would be to improve the organization's annual presentation tactics by including novel data display capabilities (Raj et al., 2015). To meet the requirements of all parties involved, NYCdot could also utilize a thorough examination of organizational processes.
NYCdot Organization and Weaknesses
The “New York City Department of Transportation (NYCdot)” is the New York City's federal agency in charge of managing the majority of the city's infrastructural systems. It is responsible for the routine upkeep of all city roads and bridges as well as all walkways, traffic lights, and signs (Raj et al., 2015). NYCdot is responsible for managing municipal parking lots and ensuring that streets are maintained, repaired, and repaved. Everything from approving jitney van services to issuing permits for street construction is under NYCdot’ purview of transportation regulation. It also promotes traffic safety measures, such as the protection of pedestrians and cyclists. The NYCdot has the mandate of running the robot lane technology when New York authorities feel that its effectiveness would be of value to the problem present in the city. The NYCdot’s commissioner is responsible for training the employees and the traffic police on controlling the robot technology and the GIS technology that offers the data for effective traffic management. NYCdot is not ready for the introduced technology because they have no enough professionals and demands for further training to have them ready.
Risks, Challenges and Concerns
The risks of adopting robot lane traffic are that jobs would be lost for the traffic officers on the roads, resulting in a rise in unemployment in the city. The police officers were mandated before to control the traffic and change the lanes but they were less effective because of human error. Taking the initiative of replacing with robots that would change the lanes based on the traffic remove the responsibility from the traffic police and staff. During the lane changes some people would be disadvantaged during the lane reshuffle and late towards their destination in favor of the opposite side. The motive of the technology would be to clear traffic but this happen on the expense of other motorists. There is the challenge of cost since the technology is expensive and demands necessary training for the staff that would control it to have an effective outcome. Acquiring and implementing lane robots would demand more resources from NYCdot. The implementation would demand the involvement of many stakeholders to make it more accepted and embraced by the public. The stakeholder involvement makes the process long and time-consuming.
Partnership
There is a need for the New York City Department of Transport to partner with MTA to make sure that the infrastructure is in good condition and the robotic change of lanes becomes effective and valuable in reducing traffic during rush hours.
Recommendations
I recommend that the employees in NYCdot should undergo training on the needed skills about lane robot adoption and implementation. The preparation is of value because it results to preparing the employees to adopt the technology without resistance. Some of the staff should be taken for benchmarking in China lane robot to bring about the skills and expertise to New York.
References
Abeyratne, D., & Halgamuge, M. N. (2020). Applying big data analytics on motor vehicle collision predictions in New York City. Intelligent Data Analysis, 219–239. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119544487.ch11
IBM Corporation. (2014). Big data and analytics in travel and transportation. Web.
Raj, P., Raman, A., Nagaraj, D., & Duggirala, S. (2015). High-performance big-data analytics: Computing systems and approaches. New York, NY: Springer.
Wu, Q., & Wang, X. (2014). Design and control of a humanoid robot for traffic guidance. Robot Intelligence Technology and Applications 2, 743–752. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05582-4_65
Zheng, S. (2017, April 21). 'robot' technology employed to ease China's notorious traffic jams. South China Morning Post. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2089478/robot-technology-helping-direct-traffic-southern-china?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=2089478
,
Rui Jiang
Professor. Tracy Jo Ingram
Civic Analytics and Urban Intelligence
Research Plan
October 20, 2022
Overview
The research project will develop a technologically innovative lane robot program for New York Department of Transportation (NYC-DOT), to address the urban traffic congestion management especially in peak hours challenges in New York City. The program will let the road become remotely controlled by using robot.
Problem Statement
Reduced service speeds are a direct result of urban congestion in many countries. For instance, traffic congestion in the transportation sector frequently causes vehicles to overlap, increasing the risk of collisions. Additionally, many services are concentrated in major cities but that the same services, if diversified, might be provided in more remote locations, hence reducing the population concentration in major cities. There is a significant expansion of large metropolitan regions, like New York City and other regions globally, and it causes massive traffic that delays operations in the city since people fails to reach their workplaces and business on time. Traffic jam is a problem in the economy and is associated with more financial losses, and this is contributed by the rush hour culture that is present in the city of New York (Lu et al., p. 19). The city traffic problem is associated with the consequence of people's insatiable need to get where they are going, which causes daily gridlock on the world's roadways and public transportation networks. Despite the significant interventions towards the traffic problem in huge cities like New York, the traffic problem is continuously worsening. The lawmakers failed in their mandate to develop policies that guide and control the traffic problem experienced in New York, and it demands that the agencies come together and have alternative interventions that would work towards serving the interests of all. Although governments may never be able to eliminate traffic congestion entirely, there are some measures that states, and municipalities may take to lessen its impact. Every day, some too many people need and desire to move about at the same time. People must go about their daily activities, such as working, going to school, and running errands, at roughly the same time to ensure the smooth operation of the economy and the educational system. I will talk about the problem of traffic jams during rush hour, the current solution and the proposed solution that is a "lane robot" to address the problem.
Background
Core Issue
The core issue is that "rush hour" in New York comes with many challenges to motorists that find themselves in slow-moving traffic, taking much of their time. The problem of traffic congestion has been there for a while, and various interventions have been adopted, but it continues to worsen despite the efforts. The core of the challenge is the population of people in New York because the statistics indicate that twenty million people live in New York City, and they are dispersed to different regions and counties (Asgarzadeh et al., p. 179). The high population in the city becomes a menace during rush hour when people are heading to work, school, or business activities and at the point of heading home. The NYCDOT is responsible for managing the flow of traffic in the region and the mobility of people. Their mandate includes looking at the best strategies to ease the problem. Reducing congestion and making the most of mobility needs are two of the primary goals of traffic engineering, which plays a pivotal role in the design and planning of infrastructure and the application of data analytics and technology that help address the problem in a more advanced manner.
Present Solution
Rapidly expanding regions have seen an increase in the number of roads in the area, which has increased value but has yet to decrease peak-hour congestion. The road has been expanded over the years, and there are some reversible lanes which has eased the congestion, but the increasing number of cars on the roads makes it tough to address the rush hour traffic jam. The challenge is the real-time analytics coordination that would direct drivers, but the intervention helps in opening alternative road avenues, which is why many people are against building new roads. The data analytics and real-time data have assisted motorists with their short route to their destination, but there is still a gap in addressing the problem that is being experienced. This criticism is valid for already clogged roads because of triple convergence. The massive, predicted increase in the U.S. population, especially in New York City, means we will require a great deal of additional road and lane mileage in remote areas. An appropriate ramp meter needs to be established. For this reason, a gradual expansion of freeway access is required. There have been reports of improved traffic flow on New York's freeways during rush hour, and the technology has the potential to be used on a much larger scale. Intelligent Transportation System devices have only recently been adopted and are only partially implemented to speed up traffic flows. Some examples of these aids include electronic coordination of streetlights, variable-sized signage warning drivers of impending traffic conditions, one-way street designs, global positioning system (GPS) units in cars and trucks, and radio broadcasts of current road conditions. This technology, which is already available, can be instructive for drivers on freeways and helpful on surface streets.
Lane Robot
A reversible lane works based on the traffic lights or signs on the side of the road. If drivers do not see it, it could feel like you were going to collide head-on with oncoming traffic. So, it has a nicknamed a suicide lane. Auckland Harbour Bridge has lane robot in the end of 1990. The Injuries from centre-line head-on collisions is 6 fatal, 5 serious, 11 minor in 1989 to 0 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor in 1991 (Tin News). A reversible lane with a guardrail controlled by remote control robot helps traffic management in Shenzhen city, south China’s Guangdong Province and is the first of its kind in use in China. Shenzhen traffic police have stationed an army of 'lane robots' along Shennan Road. It can be a physical separation of opposite road. It can be safer. The entire lane change time can be completed within 1 minute. During the trial operation, the utilization rate of the tidal lanes on Shennan Avenue in Shenzhen city was relatively high, the traffic capacity of the east-west direction in the morning peak was increased by 12.1%, the vehicle speed was increased by 29%, and the end time of the morning peak was advanced from 10:00 to 9:00. In China, they also use the lane robot before the toll station. It is estimated that the processing capacity of the entrance and exit lane can be increased by 40% and 60% respectively. (Zheng, par. 2).
Proposed Solutions
Since the outcome for this technology did good job on the traffic congestion, I will propose this lane robot program for NYCDOT to adopt and use in order to improve the quality of life in New York City, particularly during rush hour. The Lane robot utilizes technology to manage reversible lanes, where traffic flow can be switched around based on circumstances such as peak hours. It is distinguished by the fact that the guardrail can move traffic lanes in response to changing conditions. Technology is the most effective solution for the notoriously bad traffic plagues New York City during rush hour, particularly in the morning and evening. This strategy lessens the burden placed on police officers to remain on duty for extended periods of time during peak times in the morning and evening; yet it also brings to light the threat that robots pose to jobs previously performed by humans.
The statistics have shown that the number of vehicles on New York City roads doubles during rush hours. This calls for an intervention that clears the traffic, and one that would be effective would be to use lane robot. Lane robot would allow cars to use complete lanes in the morning, and they would do the opposite in the evening. This would clear jams out of the New York central district. In order to find a solution to the problem of traffic bottlenecks that plague New York, the commissioner of NYCDOT should give some thought to the role that technology and data analytics could play. Investigating the technology makes it possible for certain scenarios in which the number of vehicles leaving the city in the morning is reduced in comparison, and most lanes moving out of the city are narrowed and replaced with cars heading into the city in order to clear the traffic and ease congestion (Zheng, par. 3). When lane robots use in the future, the process will make more efficient since the lane robots can change the direction of traffic and provide direction to drivers regarding which lanes to utilize by repositioning the guard rails to open or close the lanes.
Next Steps
The next step for the research is conducting interviews to better understand the topic of concern. The interview participants include the staff like Eric Beaton, Deputy commissioner for transportation planning and management working in NYCDOT. The intention of conducting the interview is to get to understand the strategies that the public organization NYCDOT has in place to ensure that the implementation of the lane robot is successful. The collection of the primary data is significant in giving detailed feedback about the plans that are in place to secure the interest of motorists by having lane robots on New York roads for the purpose of smooth flow of traffic during rush hour.
Interviewing is the best data collection tool that is valuable in understanding how the lane robot would be implemented and ensuring that it serves the interests of the motorists, the general public, and the traffic staff that are turned jobless. The secondary sources include getting reports from the Shenzhen traffic police in China to understand the current successes and the challenges they encountered during implementation. The other secondary sources include targeting the reports of the most successful cities globally, reviewing the intervention they adopted in managing their traffic, and looking into the challenges that come with the modern strategies to do it differently for New York City.
Future Research
New York traffic department of transport (NYCDOT), through their research team, should try and investigate details to understand if the lane robot would be a long-lasting solution for the city or if there would be other best alternatives. Looking into detail about lane traffic and researching the benefits and challenges, especially unemployment, helps make the adoption of the technology more effective.
Works Cited
Asgarzadeh, Morteza, et al. “The Role of Intersection and Street Design on Severity of Bicycle-Motor Vehicle Crashes.” Injury Prevention, vol. 23, no. 3, 2016, pp. 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042045.
Lu, Juan, et al. "Expansion of City Scale, Traffic Modes, Traffic Congestion, and Air Pollution ."Cities, vol 108, 2021, p. 102974. Elsevier BV, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2020.102974.
Zheng, Sarah. “'Robot' Technology Employed to Ease China's Notorious Traffic Jams.” South China Morning Post, 21 Apr. 2017, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2089478/robot-technology-helping-direct-traffic-southern-china?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=2089478.
http://www.xinhuanet.com//politics/2017-04/19/c_129548573.htm
https://new.qq.com/omn/20191103/20191103A0AEOG00.html
Road Zipper makes the move on the Golden Gate Bridgehttps://www.tinn.ir/Section-english-2/62258-road-zipper-makes-the-move-on-the-golden-gate-bridge
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1
Rui Jiang
Professor. Tracy Jo Ingram
Civic Analytics and Urban Intelligence
Draft Plan
November 25, 2022
Introduction
· Current situation of New York City traffic.
· Laws, tolls, and penalties have been introduced repeatedly over the past few decades to address the issue.
· NYCDOT challenge dealing with traffic.
Problem Statement
· Identified Problems: Congestion.
· Description of problems: 1. Road and vehicle is not smart enough. 2. People's incessant need to get where they're going is a major contributor to the everyday congestion that plagues the world's highways and public transit systems and therefore, to the urban traffic problems.
Vision: Current traffic congestion
Window of opportunity & Problem Analysis
Assessment of Operations
· Introduce DOT and NYCDOT management: NYCDOT is mainly manage the current New York City Traffic.
· DOT is an innovative data-driven department that can keep and lead the world.
Assessment of Equity and Community Engagement
· NYCDOT races and bias
· Strategy of congestion and community equity assessment
Assessment of Data and Technology
· Lane robots were successfully applied to congestion in China: some sidebars of reversible lane introduction, data and outcome of lane robot in China
Vision
Pictures and video of China Lane Robot in use
Proposed Solution
· Lane robot is a machine-controlled guardrail, introduce this lane robot program to NYCDOT.
· The Lane robot employs technological means to oversee lanes that can be shifted around to accommodate conditions such as a rush hour.
Advantages of Lane Robot
· Using the lane robot technology, one of the primary concerns about bus and car lanes that has faced criticism in the past resulting to an effective solution where lanes are adjusted based on real-time data to promote efficient traffic management.
· When bus speeds are increased after using robot lanes to adjust traffic movement translate to passengers saving time on their daily commutes resulting to a positive impact to the economy of New York City. The innovation has been adopted in some cities of China and New York deserves to adopt it and enjoy its benefits.
· Using a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile sensors with 3D vision and reasoning, lane robot closes the innovation gap in traffic management and make New York a city that everyone would like to experience. Lane robot is a technology in place that targets on improving urban mobility and community quality of life with its safer, more reliable traffic flow.
Vision: Remote controlled guardrails promoting flexibility for effective traffic flow.
Looking Ahead
· DOT partner with MTA to make sure this proposal becomes effective and valuable
· With lane robot program, the NYC can be “smarter”
References
· Articles, research, website, reports cited
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1
Student Name
Course Name
Instructor
Date
Proposed Lane Robot Application in New York City
Introduction
Thousands of New Yorkers, including workers and children, congregate in the city daily. According to statistics, New Yorkers spent approximately 80 hours stuck in slow traffic annually, and this was a huge loss in the economy (Anderson, 2022). To avoid gridlock, everyone takes the bus or train to work. While many people cannot tolerate being herded around on the bus or rail, they prefer driving independently. Five out of every ten persons essentially drive themselves to work every day. Imagine how many vehicles would be on the road at this time. Second, New York City is continually constructing new highways and structures. Because of this, large construction vehicles are frequently seen on the highways, and routes must often be blocked to prevent accidents. And finally, thirdly, mishaps are due to the enormous volume of traffic, especially on highways and bridges, arguments break out and often end in catastrophic collisions.
When compared to the rest of the country, New York City has the highest percentage of public transportation users. The city's transportation system is complex because of the city's other unique characteristics, such as its topography, many transit hubs, hosting of significant events, tourist attractions and recreational sites, widespread usage of for-hire vehicles, and vast quantities of cargo movement (Anderson, 2022). There are many negative things that people in the area have to deal with, such as overcrowding, long commute times, high fuel costs, and air pollution. Designated bicycle lanes, bus routes, and pedestrian plazas lower road capacities, forcing policymakers to seek new ways to make up for the loss.
The NYCdot commissioner should consider increasingly leveraging data analytics and technology to make its operations and interventions more effective and significant in having a good outcome (Zheng, 2017). Congestion in New York City during peak hours harms the state and federal government revenue generation. This demands that the problem be addressed more innovatively to have an amazing outcome. The executive commissioner should consider the adoption of the "Robot lanes traffic" as a data analytic and technological intervention that has been adopted in Shenzhen, China.
Problem Statement
The fast growth of large cities like New York and others around the world has led to more significant traffic congestion, which has, in turn, slowed down city operations because people are late for work because of the congestion. The way New Yorkers behave during rush hour significantly contributes to the traffic congestion that plagues the city. This congestion is a significant source of concern for the city's economy and has been linked to increased levels of monetary loss. The unquenchable desire that people have to get to their destinations is one of the primary causes of the day-to-day congestion that affects the roadways and public transportation systems of the world, and it is also a significant contributor to the issue of urban traffic. The situation has continued to get steadily worse despite massive efforts to manage traffic flow in megacities such as New York. It was the obligation of New York's legislators to adopt legislation that guides and governs the state's traffic problem, but they failed to do so, which has necessitated a concerted effort by several agencies to find a solution that is beneficial to all parties involved (Statista, 2020). Although governments may never be able to eliminate traffic congestion totally, there are initiatives that states and municipalities can take to lessen its consequences. Every single day, an excessive number of folks have pressing business or personal obligations that require them to be mobile. It is essential for the economy's health and the educational system that people carry out their daily routines, such as going to work, attending classes, and doing errands at roughly the same time each day.
Background
Goals of Traffic Management
The primary objective of traffic management is to ensure the free and safe flow of people and products. Drivers of motor vehicles, as well as pedestrians and cyclists, are included in this category. The flow of people and goods might be made safer and more efficient by diverting traffic away from main highways at rush hour. Managing traffic is not just about the cars and drivers who use them. People are living, work, shop, play, and travel along the sides of most metropolitan streets. A secondary objective is to improve the standard of living in these areas.
A network's traffic should flow freely, much as blood does throughout the body so that the network may function properly. Because of this, the major purpose of any strategy devised to control traffic should be to ensure that things continue to proceed without any hiccups. Congestion is an unavoidable consequence of a situation in which many cars contend for a limited amount of accessible space on the route. Congestion hotspots on the roadway are referred to as choke points, however, they are also occasionally called bottlenecks. This might occur at a junction or elsewhere along a stretch of road. Other than intersections, the most common sources of chock points include things like on-street parking, poor roads, street trade, broken-down automobiles, and abandoned crashed vehicles. Chock points can also be formed by abandoned vehicles. If there is even a momentary holdup on any roadway with a high traffic volume, there will be traffic backups. As a component of any effective plan for managing traffic, reducing the amount of time spent in delay on any given section of the roadway system is an absolute necessity.
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Current New York Traffic Management
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) is currently up against a number of challenges that make it challenging for them to handle the traffic congestion around the city during rush hour. They experimented with a number of different approaches in the hope of reducing the amount of traffic. The intervention, which resulted in the installation of lanes on the streets dedicated entirely to walking and biking, has led to an increase in the number of people considering walking and biking as modes of transportation. On the other hand, this modification has not had any impact whatsoever on the amount of traffic or the number of vehicles that are now on the road. Although the increased number of roadways in rapidly growing locations is beneficial for trade, the congestion issue that occurs during rush hour still needs to be resolved. Even though the route has been enlarged, and reversible lanes have been installed to help lessen traffic, it is still impossible to alleviate the rush-hour bottleneck because of the ever-increasing number of automobiles that are on the road.
Race, Bias, and Equity Assessment for NYDOT
The Department of Transportation (NYDOT) has a complicated history of dealing with discrimination and inequality. Several high-profile incidents have occurred during the current administration in which employees of color have been publicly called racial slurs by their superiors, routinely denied promotion or advancement opportunities, and reacted against for trying to speak out about racial workplace discrimination. As a result of these and other problems, a number of employees filed complaints, and the US Department of Justice also filed a suit against the city; in June 2017, the city settled a consent decree admitting bias in the workplace at the DOT for $1.3 million (Statista, 2020). There have been no high-profile employee-related cases after that ruling, suggesting that the company has taken steps in recent years to eliminate institutional racism. Although NYDOT has made some strides in combating racism and bias, the culture that allowed for such open bigotry is still present.
NYDOT's 2016 Strategic Plan states that the department would act in a "safe, green, smart, and equitable" manner when dealing with the public. Recent NYDOT-led initiatives, such as discounted Citi Bike membership for NYCHA residents, have prioritized equity. There are other places where justice has been sacrificed for political expediency. About 80 miles of roadways have been temporarily reallocated for pedestrian and restaurant usage in the past year due to the Open Streets program, which was initiated in the wake of COVID-19. Despite the importance of having access to public open space during the height of the pandemic, about 1.1 million New Yorkers (the most populous African Americans and Hispanics that are termed low-income earners) still do not live within a short walking distance of a newly constructed Open Streets location. Considering a third of the population living in the city have their parking spaces intact, and this has demanded that the parking spots be converted to serve the outdoor dining establishment that, in the past year, was less than 10,000 spaces (Statista, 2020).
Community Engagement and Equity Assessment
Community boards have been a focal point of DOT's outreach efforts thus far. 59 community districts in New York City have their own appointed community board; Manhattan alone has 12 (Statista, 2020). Borough presidents and City Council members appoint the members; while they have no formal authority, they have significant sway over transportation-related legislation and policies. However, recent research has revealed that community boards' demographics do not accurately reflect the communities they are supposed to serve. Across the city, members are disproportionately older, whiter, male, and wealthier than the local populations. Other people on community boards have been there for 30 years or more, some districts have more white board members than white residents (less than 25%), and other districts have more men than women (Statista, 2020).
Municipal law in New York City mandates that DOT "notify" community boards of proposed streetscape redesigns as part of any transportation project. Although it is not required by law, the de Blasio government has often interpreted "notify" to mean "obtain approval from" when it comes to community board proposals. This has taken the form of loud community board members and numerous rich automobile owners effectively opposing changes to the status quo of the cityscape, with de Blasio's DOT totally making concessions to community board complaints. Evidence of community board members imposing their will on the Department of Transportation is abundant. In one scenario from March 2017, DOT suggested eliminating a car lane on a 40-block length of Amsterdam Ave in the Upper West Side to build pedestrian safety medians, turning bays to restrict vehicle traffic, and painted bike lanes. A longtime member of Manhattan's Community Board 9, Carolyn Thompson, essentially rejected the idea by saying she did not "trust" city and Census figures stating that 80% of families in the area do not have a car and hence refused to authorize the loss of a vehicle lane (Gumus et al., 2016). Due to a fatality involving a pedestrian hit by a speeding motorist, the board agreed to implement some of the proposed safety measures. Community boards are a terrific platform to present initiatives, to hear community concerns, to identify people who care genuinely about areas, and to gain local feedback. Despite this, the DOT's 2016 Strategic Plan acknowledged the need to better "engage with the public in new venues" and broaden community outreach efforts, especially to "groups historically under-represented at community forums, such as transit riders, non-English speakers, and low-income New Yorkers" (Statista, 2020). While COVID-19 has altered some of the agency's near-term goals, there does not appear to be any proactive strategy in place in 2021 to increase public participation in transportation projects, and the last public update on these programs was in 2017.
NYDOT Partnership and Collaboration
The NYDOT may significantly increase its data and technological capabilities by partnering with research labs at multiple universities in New York City. The agency may work with the NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress and the Center for Data Science to better understand and modify the city's parking management approach. The work of researchers in policy and emerging technologies like machine learning and computer vision could pave the way for exciting new data-driven endeavors (Abeyratne & Halgamuge, 2020). When it comes to data and technology, the city may team up with one or more of the most cutting-edge private-sector firms working on sensor and software products for monitoring and analyzing the urban environment. Sidewalk Labs is working on a product called Pebble, which is a vehicle sensor that protects users' privacy and allows for more brilliant parking and street-level management. The technology would have been of value also in making sure the proposed lane robot technology works effectively in managing the New York traffic during rush hour.
To address issues of fairness and racism, the city's DOT needs to strengthen its relationships with community organizations that speak for the city's historically underprivileged Black and Brown neighborhoods. The agency could better understand the needs and preferences of a broader range of the population if it actively recruited and hired from neighborhoods within the city for project management, planning, and new agency-wide community engagement roles. This would also improve the agency's chances of connecting with organizations in each neighborhood that might better represent their populations.
NYCDOT SWOT Analysis
The management of the NYCDOT Corporation can benefit significantly from conducting a SWOT analysis as part of the institution's strategic planning process. A SWOT analysis is a useful tool in analyzing the opportunities, weaknesses, strengths, and threats that exist in the business climate in which an organization operates (Cordell & Thompson, 2019). The NYCDOT Company is a government institution with the mandate of managing the transport sector to make sure there is a smooth flow for efficient movement. Its primary role is to oversee the city's transportation network, ensuring that pedestrians, drivers, and cargo can all navigate the city's roads, highways, bridges, and waterbodies in a manner that is both convenient and considerate of the environment. To keep its market dominance, NYCDOT Corporation regularly conducts a SWOT analysis.
Strengths of NYCDOT Company– Internal Strategic Factors
The NYCDOT Corporation is one of the most public firm in New York handling transport services. These strengths not only help the organization in preserving its market position in current markets but also in breaking into new areas of interest in transport. The following are some of NYCDOT Business's strengths:
· Proven track record of success in recruiting technologically innovative information technology personnel. These individuals are responsible for ensuring the progression, promotion, and implementation of technologically sophisticated and secure solutions that improve the services that the agency provides.
· Highly skilled work force made possible by implementation of training programs and workforce. The management of the NYCDOT Organization is investing significant resources in the training and education of its more than 5500 employees, which will result in a workforce that is not only competent but also motivated to accomplish more for the organization (NYC, 2022).
· Proven track record in the creation of innovative services. The NYCdot organization embraces technological innovation, which enables it to deliver highly innovative servicesin the public transport sector.
· The employees of NYCDOT Company are responsible for managing a yearly operating budget of approximately $1.40 billion and generating substantial profits annually (NYC, 2022). The organization can execute new projects with a reasonable degree of success due to technological advances, which ensures the creation of new income streams.
· New York City Department of Transportation Company has robust free cash flows, particularly from profits, grants, and revenue from grantors. These cash flows put resources into the hands of the organization, allowing it to invest in new projects, which ultimately results in the corporation growing its market share and bringing in more income.
· Efficient management techniques-The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) incorporated numerous curbside management techniques that were recognized in its “Commercial Vehicle Parking Plan” to ensure an effective flow of commodities and services throughout this city
Weakness of NYCDOT Company – Internal Strategic Factors
Weaknesses are opportunities for NYCDOT Company to strengthen its operations and serve the people of New York. Some of the weaknesses of NYCDOT Company are:
· Insufficient technological funding- New technologies require more significant funding. Given the scope of its planned growth, NYCDOT Company needs to make more technological investments to improve operational efficiency. The present rate of technological investment is not keeping up with the organization’s long-term goals. An example is subjecting the lane robot to analysis to make sure that it has possibility of being effective before actual adoption.
· Decreasing market share- Though NYCDOT Company has increased its revenues, the air courier sector is growing faster. Now more than ever, the NYCDOT Company needs to look closely at the various transportation industry trends to determine how to best capitalize on them for future expansion.
· Massive Operational Costs- Running a company in the transportation sector typically requires significant amounts of money to be spent regularly on operational costs to keep the business operations moving forward.
· Technology changes- To keep up with the rapid pace at which new and improved technologies emerge, NYCDOT Company needs regular technology upgrades. As the technology individuals use on a regular basis evolves, it becomes more challenging to train people on it and more costly to implement.
Opportunities for NYCDOT Company – External Strategic Factors
Opportunities include facets that a given companies can use to bring trust and integrity (Cordell & Thompson, 2019). Some of the NYCDOT Company opportunities are:
· There are opportunities of making the transport sector effective especially handling the traffic movement during the rush hour through the adoption of the lane robot for the New York City.
· If the company has more cash on hand, it will be able to make investments in both emerging technologies and new product categories. This ought to throw open some doors of possibility for NYCDOT Company in regard to other product categories.
· Investment in technology- Putting money into cutting-edge technological infrastructure can result to better solutions to traffic jam experienced in the city by adopting more technological approaches like the pay dividends for a company's name in various ways. With the rise of machine learning and data science, NYCDOT organizations can use these tools to support their product improvement initiatives. The NYCDOT Company is capable of creating software that facilitates organized transportation operations.
· The NYCDOT Corporation has the opportunity to invest in new markets and transport networks like the train and adopting lane robot for a smooth flow of traffic
· New taxation policies- New tax policies, such as the highway use tax, can have far-reaching effects on how businesses operate, providing opportunities for well-established firms like NYCDOT Company to expand their profits while limiting the growth of newer firms.
Threats for NYCDOT Company – External Strategic Factors
Threats refer to any factors that could have a detrimental effect on a company's operations (Cordell & Thompson, 2019). The NYCDOT Company threats are:
· Rising costs of raw materials- The profitability of NYCDOT organization may be jeopardized if the cost of raw materials continues to increase in making changes to the road network and strategizing the needed resources to make traffic flow successful.
· Obsolete technology- The NYCDOT Company must frequently update its technology because newer and more advanced technology is constantly emerging. When there are frequent modifications in the technology being used, it becomes challenging and costly to train employees on the new technology.
Proposal Overview
I suggest to the NYCDOT that they adopt and implement this lane robot program to lessen the amount of traffic congestion and improve the overall quality of life in the city, particularly during rush hour. The lane robot technology is well-known for its technologically-driven approach, particularly the utilization of real data, which helps to increase efficiency in traffic flow. The technological innovation and development that is taking place in various industries, including the transportation industry, necessitates that the NYDOT make preparations to put the lane robot technology into operation so that it will be possible to manage traffic successfully. The Lane robot uses several technical tools to monitor lanes that can be rearranged to fit various circumstances, such as during rush hour. It's a one-of-a-kind system because the guardrail allows the traffic lanes to be rearranged to fit different road conditions. Technology is the best solution for the horrific rush-hour traffic that New York City experiences in the morning and evening. This strategy eliminates the need for police officers to remain on duty for extended periods of time during the morning and evening rushes, yet, it also underlines the threat that robots offer to professions that have historically been performed by humans.
The success of Proposed Lane Robot Technology in Shenzhen, China
One that can switch directions in response to roadside signals is referred to as a reversible lane. In the event that drivers fail to detect it, you may have the impression that you are about to be involved in a head-on collision with oncoming vehicles. As a result of this, some people refer to it as the "suicide lane." On the Auckland Harbour Bridge, a lane robot was placed somewhere around the year 1990 (Zheng, 2017). In 1989, there were six fatalities, five serious injuries, and eleven minor injuries due to head-on incidents on the center line. By the year 1991, there had been not a single fatality, not a single serious injury, and not a single minor injury. In Shenzhen, which is located in Guangdong Province in southern China, the first reversible lane that also has a guardrail and is operated by a remote control robot has recently been put into operation to assist with traffic management. The Shenzhen traffic police have deployed an army of "lane robots" along Shennan Road. The installation of a physical barrier between the two potential escape routes is one of the available options. It should take a maximum of a minute to go through the entire process of changing lanes. During the trial period, the tidal lanes on Shennan Avenue in Shenzhen City saw a relatively high utilization rate, which led to an increase in traffic capacity in the east-west direction during morning peak hours by 12.1%, an increase in vehicle speed by 29%, and an earlier end time for morning peak hours of 9:00. In addition, the trial period saw an earlier end time for morning peak hours of 9:00 (Zheng, 2017). Implementing the lane robot in China resulted in a noticeable increase in traffic flow. The New York City Department of Transportation should consider implementing this substantial improvement in the city.
Graphic: Remote Controlled Guardrail
Advantages of the Proposed Solution (Lane Robot)
Using the technology of lane robots, one of the primary concerns regarding bus and car lanes that have been the subject of criticism in the past has been effectively addressed, resulting in an effective solution in which lanes are adjusted based on real-time data to promote efficient traffic management. When bus speeds are enhanced due to the utilization of robot lanes to alter the movement of traffic, this translates to passengers saving time on their daily commutes, which in turn results in a beneficial influence on the economy of New York City. It has already been implemented in a few places in China, and it is time for New York to follow suit so that the city can reap the benefits of this invention. The lane robot bridges the innovation gap in traffic management by utilizing a mix of artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile sensors with 3D vision and reasoning (Gumus et al., 2016). This helps to make New York a city that people from all over the world would like to visit. Lane robot is a technology that is now in use to enhance urban mobility and the quality of life in communities through the creation of a traffic flow that is both safer and more reliable.
Graphic: Remote-controlled guardrails promoting flexibility for effective traffic flow.
Because there would no longer be a need for human traffic enforcers if lane robot traffic was implemented, this might lead to an increase in unemployment in a city. In order to move the isolation guardrail to a predetermined place in a fast, the lane robot, which is driven by remote control, needs trustworthy technology; otherwise, the road will only advance halfway before coming to a stop. When the lane robot is in operation, sensitive technology needs to be integrated into it to prevent the automobile from colliding with other vehicles.
Risks of Proposed Lane Robot
The proposed lane robot is known for the benefits China has experienced in managing its traffic flow, but any intervention must have drawbacks. One of the challenges is an increase in unemployment in the city, and this happens because there would no longer be a need for human traffic enforcers if lane robot traffic was implemented. In order to move the isolation guardrail to a predetermined place in a fast, the lane robot, which is driven by remote control, needs trustworthy technology; otherwise, the road will only advance halfway before coming to a stop. When the lane robot is in operation, sensitive technology needs to be integrated into it to prevent the automobile from colliding with other vehicles. There would be a high demand for technological innovation and management to avoid issues of failure or incompatibility of the systems that can cause delay and traffic if failed to be addressed quickly. There is also the risk of cyberattacks that are likely to occur in the NYDOT, and this is evident in the manner that technological driven processes, especially those that rely on data, become sensitive and a threat from cybercriminals that have the intention of damaging operations in the city (Gumus et al., 2016). The adoption of lane robots demands for more specialized IT staff that would manage the technology and ensure that NYDOT is in the capacity to counter possible cyberattacks.
Conclusion
The implementation of lane robots is a vital intervention that should be permitted in New York City for the public to take pleasure in the flow of traffic during rush hour. The fact that there has been a noticeable shift in China suggests that the technology will likely be successful in New York City. When implementing the lane robot technology in New York, consider the SWOT analysis and the risks highlighted in the case in China (Zheng, 2017). This would help the implementation with much wisdom and knowledge and minimize the adverse effects that the lane robot technology could have on the roads. Everyone supports the initiatives, including those who use the roads and embrace the technology by adopting a positive attitude toward the changes. The difficulty can be solved because of the involvement of various stakeholders, which makes it possible to do so. The lane robot would operate most effectively with other solutions that have been implemented in the past.
References
Abeyratne, D., & Halgamuge, M. N. (2020). Applying big data analytics on motor vehicle collision predictions in New York City. Intelligent Data Analysis, 219–239. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119544487.ch11
Anderson , N. (2022, February 15). Congested traffic in NYC, Philly, and Vegas near pre-COVID levels as rush hour patterns change. Daily Mail Online. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10512743/Congested-traffic-NYC-Philly-Vegas-nears-pre-COVID-levels-rush-hour-patterns-change.html
Cordell, A. and Thompson, I. (2019) “SWOT analysis,” The Procurement Models Handbook, pp. 54–56. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351239509-17.
Gumus, O., Topaloglu, M., & Ozcelik, D. (2016). The use of computer-controlled line follower robots in public transport. Procedia Computer Science, 102, 202–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2016.09.390
IBM Corporation. (2014). Big data and analytics in travel and transportation. Web.
NYC (2022) About NYC DOT, NYC DOT. Available at: https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/about.shtml (Accessed: December 3, 2022).
Raj, P., Raman, A., Nagaraj, D., & Duggirala, S. (2015). High-performance big-data analytics: Computing systems and approaches. New York, NY: Springer.
Statista. (2020). Topic: New York City. Statista. Retrieved December 3, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/topics/9382/new-york-city/#topicOverview
Zheng, S. (2017, April 21). 'robot' technology employed to ease China's notorious traffic jams. South China Morning Post. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2089478/robot-technology-helping-direct-traffic-southern-china?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=2089478
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