Expand / Collapse search
☰

Sarasota recognized for being a 'Smart City' as AI helps keep an eye on drivers, pedestrians

By
Published  May 27, 2025 3:30pm EDT
Sarasota
FOX 13 News
Sarasota smart city initiative

Sarasota smart city initiative

Kimberly Kuizon reports.

The Brief

    • The City of Sarasota is recognized for what it's doing to keep drivers and pedestrians safe.
    • The city is using artificial intelligence with traffic cameras to document near-miss crashes and illegal crossings.
    • "It helps us make better decisions because we are tracking that information in real time and seeing what is going on out there," said City Engineer Nikesh Patel.

SARASOTA, Fla. - From real-time beach updates to free Wi-Fi in city parks, Sarasota’s Smart City initiative doesn’t stop there. 

The backstory:

The City of Sarasota is being recognized with an international award for the work it’s doing to keep drivers and pedestrians safe, as well. 

Off of Fruitville Road, a number of intersections are keeping an eye on what’s happening to help prevent a future tragedy from occurring. 

"We get speed, near-misses, lane departures. We also get information on how many vehicles per day go through the area," said Nikesh Patel Sarasota’s City Engineer. 

The city of Sarasota is using artificial intelligence with traffic cameras to document near-miss crashes, illegal crossings off of streets like Fruitville Road and Lemon Avenue and to warn drivers of pedestrian crossings. 

What they're saying:

"It’s really to see what’s going on with user behaviors in the right of way. It’s to determine what the behaviors are happening and see what we can do to implement solutions that help us with target zero," said Patel. 

Target Zero is part of the city’s goal to reduce serious crashes and injuries throughout the downtown area. 

OTHER NEWS: 3 arrested in S. Tampa DUI crash that severed man’s leg: Police

The technology is being used at 16 different intersections in and around downtown Sarasota. 

It gives the city 24/7 data they are able to pull from any moment since the project started. 

"If speed is an issue, we can slow down speed by implementing traffic-calming measures. If pedestrians are not crossing on the crosswalk, we can look at making the crosswalk wider and adjusting the signal timing. There’s a lot of different solutions we can look at," said Patel. 

Dig deeper:

Patel said the technology gives a clear picture of areas that need traffic signal adjustments or extra patrols. 

"It helps us make better decisions because we are tracking that information in real time and seeing what is going on out there," he said. 

Visitors like Mike Oliveri from Bradenton understand the benefit. 

"There’s a need for it. There’s so much traffic here," he said. 

What's next:

The city of Sarasota was one of the first in the state to pilot the program, but others are following. 

The city hopes to add the technology to all of its 90 intersections in the near future. 

The Source: FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon gathered the interviews and information for this story.

Click on the video player above to watch FOX 13 News.

    STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

    SarasotaCrime and Public Safety