About
The District government, with the Golden Triangle BID and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), have launched the Pennsylvania Avenue 2040 (PA 2040) initiative to enhance visitors’ experience on “America’s Main Street” by implementing exciting and practical Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. IoT will become common in tomorrow’s District—technologies that will enhance the public’s experience in the city as they help city government deliver better services.
The PA 2040 project will provide a better, more rewarding experience to everyone who uses the west Pennsylvania Avenue corridor—visitors, workers, residents, and businesses, as well as the local and federal governments.
Details on #PA2040
The project focuses on Pennsylvania Avenue west of the White House to New Hampshire Avenue - between the 1700 and 1900 blocks of Pennsylvania Ave and from G Street to I Street NW. OCTO, along with partners Sensity and Cisco, will deliver publicly accessible Internet through OCTO-sponsored outdoor DC-Net Wi-Fi and remotely managed, sensor-based LED streetlights. Other PA 2040 features include enhanced wayfinding, managed parking demand, and improved maintenance and emergency response capabilities.
- OCTO’s goal within this beta block is to leverage the street lighting infrastructure closely working with the Department of Transportation (DDOT) to deploy an innovative environmental sensor and video-based lighting solution.
- The resulting real-time data will be used to create applications that can significantly improve District operations with reduced costs. We are using Sensity and Cisco within the pilot area as solution providers.
- Using this sensory lighting platform, our goal is to enhance and revitalize this historic corridor. It will be essential to engage the academic and civic tech community to come up with creative ways to improve infrastructure, energy, traffic management and overall City services within the pilot block.
Phase 2 expands services to include smart parking, public safety applications, environmental sensors, Edu-Roam (federated educational Wi-Fi roaming service), and interactive kiosks.
Follow Progress
Keep up to date on the project's progress by following @dcnetgov and @octodc along with the #PA2040 hashtag.
Partnering for Progress
PA 2040 brings together efforts of OCTO, the Golden Triangle BID, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), and technology companies. OCTO's DC-Net is playing a key role in providing infrastructure, evaluating technologies, and bringing together and working with stakeholders to the PA 2040 project.
PA 2040 creates the underlying infrastructure to enable future Smart City applications to address needs and issues of the residents, businesses, visitors and government constituents.
Smart Cities Initiatives in DC
The goal of Smart Cities in DC is to use encourage efficient use of District infrastructure, effectively engage the local community in the innovation process and improve the collective intelligence of the District’s institutions. IoT is central to this approach. While IoT is still in its infancy, it is poised for tremendous growth in the coming decade. It is the digital fabric that will extend the ability to Sense & Communicate with “Things” which will bring an exponential increase in autonomy and efficiency.
OCTO along with DMPED is creating pilot areas within the city to excite and spur innovation. OCTO has architected a network which will set the stage for deployment of several innovative IoT services within the pilot areas, Penn Ave being one of them.