A new startup backed by Alphabet and funded by Sidewalk Labs could help cities leverage their curbs.
Named Coord, the startup uses technology to map cities in order to provide municipalities and transportation companies like ride-hail, bike-share and car-share providers with a detailed guide of how curbs can be used, Fast Company reports.
Rather than using street imagery, Coord collects data by walking the streets of cities like San Francisco and recording information on a smartphone app that uses augmented reality technology. This method ensures the maps are accurate because street imagery can obscure some curbside features, CEO Stephen Smyth wrote in a Medium post.
Coord maps include information about where people can and cannot stop, no parking zones and where there is free or paid parking available. Users can also change the date and time in order to see how curbs are used during different parts of the day.
While the company is still in its early stages, it could help cities better determine where parking updates may be needed in order to reduce congestion, as well as help ride-sharing drivers decide where to wait for passengers using loading zones.
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