Across New York City, signposts are being fitted with a new generation of traffic sensors. These sensors count pedestrians, cyclists, buses, trucks, and cars in real time. The devices use machine vision to track how people move through streets — including speeds, turns, mid-block crossings, and potential conflict points. NYC officials say the video is immediately discarded and only anonymized movement data is kept. The goal is to give planners a clearer picture of where street design is failing, so they can add safer crossings, better bike routes, bus improvements, and other fixes where they’re needed most. But will it actually work? What’s Actually Happening on the Street This is basically a larger roll-out of a previous program by the Department of Transportation (NYC DOT). After a 2023 pilot at 20 locations, the agency plans to add sensors at roughly 80 more sites, bringing the network to about 100 locations. The promise is a richer, round-the-clock picture of how New Yorkers actually move through streets—and where the street design fails them. The sensors, provided by Viva and mounted on existing street infrastructure, act like traffic counters. They can record how many people walk, bike, or drive through an area, how fast vehicles move, where people turn, and where pedestrians cross outside marked crosswalks. That kind of information matters a lot. A steady stream of people crossing mid-block could suggest that a new crosswalk is needed. Repeated close calls between cyclists and opening car doors could flag a corridor for a protected bike lane or parking changes, even when there are no reported accidents. A bus route that keeps getting trapped behind turning vehicles could point planners toward a dedicated lane or signal tweak. “Safer street design starts with understanding what is actually happening on the street,” NYC DOT Commissioner Mike