by: Griffith Waller
Thursday, January 16, 2020 In a repeat performance, Montgomery earns multiple Smart 50 Awards for tapping technology and innovation to revolutionize public safety and urban infrastructure operations
MONTGOMERY – US Ignite and Smart Cities Connect this week named Montgomery, Alabama, a winner in two categories, Urban Infrastructure and Digital Transformation, in the 2020 Smart 50 Awards – an honor further cementing the Capital of Dreams’ status as an international leader in technology and innovation.
“Montgomery’s recognition on the world stage and our success in harnessing technology and innovation provide a solid foundation to work toward our vision of a city ready to lead in the knowledge-based economy,” Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said. “Our goal is to continue investing in innovative solutions that can cultivate an equitable city and result in quality-of-life transformations touching everything from public safety and thriving neighborhoods to education.”
City of Montgomery representatives will join fellow award-wining cities, including high-tech hubs like Sacramento, Chicago, London and Beijing, at an awards ceremony on April 6 in Denver to be honored for their work implementing the most influential and groundbreaking global smart cities projects launched in the past year. Montgomery’s STAR Watch program and LED lighting rollout were the winning projects submitted for consideration this year.
ABOUT STAR WATCH
STAR Watch is the Montgomery Police Department’s new police-community technology initiative built around a real-time crime center comprising camera feeds across the city. The River Region Strategic Technology and Resource Center (STAR), a state-of-the-art MPD facility uses feeds from cameras of voluntarily enrolled residents and businesses across Montgomery as a force-multiplier to increase overall public safety. .
ABOUT LED LIGHTING
The City partnered with Alabama Power Company to upgrade more than 22,000 streetlights from mercury vapor, metal halide and high pressure sodium bulbs into new energy-efficient LED systems – at no cost to taxpayers. In fact, City officials anticipate saving approximately $600,000 in energy costs over the next five years. While leading to savings, the upgrades also come as a quality of life boost for residents. LED bulbs burn brighter and illuminate a larger area, resulting in fewer dark spots on the road, which means safer neighborhoods and roadways. The lights also come with the ability to direct the light and shield it, allowing the City to do its part to decrease light pollution by reducing spill and glare. From a resiliency and sustainability standpoint, 95 percent of the energy used by an LED bulb goes to emitting light.
This year’s ceremony will mark the second consecutive year Montgomery has been recognized by Ignite and Smart Cities Connect. Montgomery received two awards last year for its achievements in Mobility and Urban Operations thanks to partnerships with Rubicon and Roadbotics.
Visit https://spring.smartcitiesconnect.org/Smart50Awards/ for the list of winning cities and projects. For more information on these and other City of Montgomery smart city initiatives, visit www.montgomeryal.gov.
Griffith Waller
Public Relations Specialist
City of Montgomery
(334) 625-2726 (office)
(334) 235-0871 (cell)
gwaller@montgomeryal.gov