Poquoson council approves Urban SDK traffic-analysis tool after police demonstration
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Summary
The Poquoson City Council approved a three-year contract for an Urban SDK speed and traffic-calming analytics product after Police Chief Steven Case demonstrated its anonymized, 30‑day-block data and use for enforcement and capital planning.
The Poquoson City Council voted unanimously to purchase Urban SDK, a cloud-based traffic and speed-analysis platform, after a presentation and demonstration by Police Chief Steven Case.
Chief Steven Case showed council a web-based view of averaged speeds and traffic volume on Poquoson streets, saying the platform supplies a 30-day block of historic data refreshed monthly and anonymizes individual-device data. “This is anonymous data. There is no way to go into this program and find out which piece of data…belongs to any specific person or any specific vehicle,” Case said.
The nut graf: Councilors were shown how the tool reports average speeds, 85th-percentile speeds and annual average daily traffic for specific road segments, which the police department, public works and the city engineer can use to prioritize enforcement and capital projects.
During the demonstration the chief pointed to sample output for Poquoson Avenue and described how the platform highlights times of day and days of week when average speeds are higher; he said Saturday early-morning traffic showed higher average speeds in the sample. Case also told council that Urban SDK’s clients in Virginia include Chesapeake, Richmond, Lynchburg, Roanoke and the counties of Prince William and Fauquier.
Councilors asked whether the system provided directional speed splits (eastbound vs. westbound); Case said the product, as configured for Poquoson, does not provide directional breakdowns. He also confirmed the platform’s monthly refresh cadence and that custom monthly reports (for example, a “top 10” list of segments exceeding thresholds) can be requested from the vendor.
The police chief told the council a prepaid multi‑year contract would provide historical data on day one and offered faster implementation; he said the three‑year contract price quoted during the meeting was approximately $44,550. The council voted 7–0 to approve the ordinance appropriating funds and authorizing the contract. City Manager Wheeler and public-works staff said permanent speed-monitoring signs will be purchased using existing budget funds and that staff will return to council with location recommendations once Urban SDK data and police input are available.
Ending: Chief Case said staff can have the system functional within a matter of days after vendor setup and training; council directed staff to proceed with the purchase and to bring site-location guidance for permanent signs in the coming weeks.
