MDIA announces its fourth public innovation challenge

The Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA) announced its fourth Public Innovation Challenge on October 4, a groundbreaking initiative focused on changing transportation visibility in Miami-Dade County, Florida. In partnership with the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), the challenge encourages local and global early-stage companies to submit innovative solutions that will reshape, improve and enhance transportation management, especially during high-profile events. in high demand, such as Art Basel Miami and Miami Art Week, Ultra Music Festival and major sporting events.

The challenge will last until November 22, 2024. MDIA, in cooperation with DTPW, will select at least three early-stage technology startups, providing each with $100,000 in funding to test and validate their solutions with DTPW.

The aim of the challenge is to seek solutions that use the power of advanced technologies such as sensors, cameras, spatial and traffic data aggregators, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve traffic visibility and management on roads, sidewalks and other public spaces. Successful proposals will demonstrate measurable impact on non-traditional commuting patterns or special events.

As Miami-Dade County continues to host major events, improving transportation visibility becomes critical to improving traffic management, reducing congestion, improving the efficiency of public transportation, increasing safety for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, reducing emissions and travel times, and enabling better urban planning and communication.

“As our population grows and events continue to attract larger crowds, it is imperative that we improve the way residents and visitors navigate our roads. This challenge presents a unique opportunity for startups to revolutionize transportation visibility in Miami-Dade County, improve safety, reduce congestion and enhance the overall transportation experience,” said Leigh-Ann Buchanan, president and CEO of MDIA.

The challenge focuses on several key areas of transport:

• For personal vehicle mobility: Seeking solutions to redirect vehicles or provide key insights, particularly in response to special events or irregularities such as construction activities or accidents.
• For pedestrian traffic: Exploring solutions to help understand people’s flows and transportation needs, with a particular focus on making travel safer and more efficient during special events.
• For the efficiency of public transport: I am looking for solutions to track routes and arrival/departure times, as well as adaptive signals and signal priorities for public transport, especially buses.
• For general road use: Searching for solutions that use publicly available spatial and transit data to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion.

“Investing in innovative transportation solutions is critical to ensuring Miami-Dade County becomes a leading transportation hub. This challenge underscores our commitment to improving the way we manage transportation during major events with solutions that can be applied to everyday operations, ultimately benefiting our community and strengthening our leadership in mobility solutions,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

To ensure this challenge is informed by diverse expertise, MDIA has enlisted subject matter experts from CoMotion, a global multimodal mobility platform, and Miami Transit Alliance, a nonprofit organization advocating for walkable streets, neighborhoods where you can ride a bike and use better public transport.

“By harnessing the power of startups and cutting-edge technology, this challenge has the potential to revolutionize transportation management in Miami-Dade County, ultimately creating a more efficient, sustainable and equitable transportation system for all. CoMotion is committed to supporting innovation and collaboration among entrepreneurs, industry leaders and the public sector. We believe this challenge is a great example of the groundbreaking work that can be done when cities, startups and technology come together,” said John Rossant, founder and director General CoMotion.