The Intersection of Hope and Security: Tuscaloosa’s Multi-Layer Surveillance Initiative
In 1991, the U.S. Congress established a federal program to develop and test Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and promote their implementation. The ITS program explores ways that information and technology can improve transportation safety. Since the early 1990s, the federal government has earmarked dollars for cities across the United States to put technology in place to manage traffic and protect public safety. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is one city that has benefitted.
The Tuscaloosa Department of Transportation received federal funding for traffic message boards as well as cameras, which have helped the city manage its traffic without widening its roads. The program was the Tuscaloosa Transportation Department’s entry to cameras.