Fourteen streetlights along a single block in Center City have been outfitted with optical sensors as part of a pilot program to track environmental factors and how city sidewalks are being used.

Installed on 13th Street between Chestnut and Walnut, the SmartBlockPHL pilot is run by the city in collaboration with Comcast, Juganu, and U.S. Ignite — an National Science Foundation-led initiative that promotes “the smart community movement.”

The technology can detect and collect real-time data on pedestrian, vehicular, and bicycle traffic and weather conditions like air quality and humidity. The sensors were installed and calibrated last July, according to SmartCitiesPHL Director Emily Yates. Data collection began in December 2021 and will continue through the end of this year.