Figure 6.2 – City freight and delivery service plan – (Sidewalk Labs, 2017) 2.2.4 Improving mobility management to reduce traffic congestion To improve mobility management in Toronto, Sidewalk Labs 2) Dynamic curbs wanted to work closely with the Waterfront Transportation The WTMA’s approach to curb management leverages real- Management Association (WTMA), which is responsible for: time data and policies set by the WTMA to make the most •Creating a mobility subscription package, helping to increase efficient use of curb space based on actual demand—a concept the use of public transport, and reducing traffic congestion that Sidewalk Labs calls a “dynamic curb.” According to the while decreasing costs for businesses and households; firm, “Dynamic curbs can provide flexibility to make the most •Procuring and operating new technologies such as adaptive of limited street space, enabling quick conversions between traffic signals, dynamic paving, freight, and deliveries or other transportation and public realm purposes like plazas or special third-party systems and apps(Sidewalk Labs, 2017b: 68); events like pop-up markets” (Sidewalk Labs, 2017a: 118). •Allocating space according to the needs of mobility, access, Dynamic curbs use physical infrastructure such as lighted safety, and public real estate ; paving or signs to designate spaces for passenger pickups and •Reporting on performance targets related to congestion, drop-offs along streets, including at times when such space is mode share, and customer services. restricted to vehicles because of sidewalk expansions or events such as pop-up street fairs. They could reduce the number of Some of the key innovations designed by Sidewalk Labs to drivers stopping in the middle of the road to drop someone off. reduce traffic congestion are: Dynamic curbs are also able to publish real-time information 1) Adaptive traffic signals regarding availability and pricing, and they can be integrated Adaptive traffic signals leverage privacy-preserving sensing with third-party trip apps or mobility services, helping users to and analysis to ensure that intersections efficiently manage make good decisions and reducing double parking. pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicle traffic in a neighborhood. Sidewalk’s system can measure the speeds of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. To ensure consistency with the responsible data use policy, any counts or calculations generated could be processed on the device, deleting any raw footage and retaining only aggregated numbers to be analyzed later on. 175 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021