Amey, which operates Streets Ahead is putting itself at the forefront of smart technology to deliver highway efficiency in the city of Sheffield via a platform provided by Smart City operator, Connexin
Connexin’s CityOS platform, described by the firm as the “Operating System of a Smart City”, is being delivered in partnership with Cisco and Quantela and will digitally connect essential highway maintenance services and inform operatives about the condition of street assets in real-time.
Using an Internet of Things (IoT) foundation for its digital strategy, Amey will use Connexin’s CityOS platform to integrate, view, manage and respond to information to improve highway maintenance services and revolutionise service delivery across Sheffield, from Stocksbridge to Mosborough.
The highway maintenance service will know when to:
- Empty high street bins to avoid overflowing
- Water trees for preservation
- Refill grit bins ready for icy conditions
- Clear gullies to reduce the risk of flash flooding.
Another huge benefit to the system will be a reduction in air pollution, with staff making fewer journeys across the city and being able to avoid spots where air quality levels are poor, to reduce the impact.
Residents of Sheffield will benefit from a better quality of life with cleaner and safer living conditions and improved maintenance services which are delivered in a more efficient, sustainable manner, contributing to the city’s Clean Air Strategy.
Tackling climate change and improving standards
Cabinet member for environment, street scene and climate change at Sheffield City Council, Councillor Mark Jones said: “By investing in this new initiative, our contractors will be undertaking fewer journeys, which in turn will result in a reduction in energy consumption, pollution and congestion, while ensuring our streets are kept clean and our bins are emptied using a more efficient and effective approach.”
An environmentally sustainable solution
James Haluch, managing director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey says: “Technology is becoming more and more part of our everyday lives. Working with our partners in the public and private sector, we have to make radical changes to the way we deliver services.
“I’m delighted that we’re embracing Connexin’s technology, which is one of the first times it’s been used in a city environment, that will benefit our service delivery and help to improve local communities.
“It will also offer a more environmentally sustainable solution to reduce our carbon footprint and maximise the use of resources, allowing us to provide a continually evolving service for Sheffield residents.”
Rob Bullock, chief sales officer at Connexin says: “We’re thrilled to be supporting Amey to deliver services in Sheffield, further demonstrating that the digital economy and innovation is thriving in the North.
“Our complete solution is built on the CityOS platform, bringing together the best of breed capabilities from Cisco Kinetic for Cities and the Atlantis Smart City platform from Quantela which together present the city’s assets in a single aggregated view.
“This project has far reaching, long term benefits that go beyond simply delivering service efficiencies. A city with reduced service vehicles contributing to traffic congestion and air pollution is a benefit to everyone and has the potential to become the “new norm” for how services are delivered to cities.
“The investment Amey has made in CityOS will support an agile approach to future technology adoption. CityOS is “open” and as new use cases are discovered Amey will be able to integrate new data sets to expand their service offering.”
