City Government

Peachtree Corners Deploys LiDAR Technology for Smart Infrastructure

Published

3 years ago

January 6, 2022

The future of mobility will be centered around a connected infrastructure that can monitor traffic and road conditions in real-time, communicate with vehicles and pedestrians, and promote safer and more efficient transportation for the most vulnerable road users.

The City of Peachtree Corners, in the heart of what’s being called “Silicon Orchard,” has brought this vision to life. As the United States’ first smart city environment powered by real-world, city-owned connected infrastructure and 5G, autonomous vehicles carrying residents operate on public streets alongside regular traffic. And those vehicles are communicating with the infrastructure, including Ouster lidar units installed in traffic intersections.

Additional infrastructure includes the country’s first-ever “IoT Central Control Room” implemented by a city (where data from all IoT devices across the city’s smart infrastructure is managed, analyzed and acted upon through a single pane of glass), smart poles, DSRC units, dedicated fiber and more. The cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) system, also a first in the United States, was deployed by Qualcomm and the entire 5G-enabled city is powered by T-Mobile.

In the middle of everyday city life, the Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners is home to a smart city ecosystem featuring top international technology developers and startups that are developing and proving out new technologies that will shape – and are often already shaping – the future of society. As an official partner of Curiosity Lab, Ouster is working with the city and other private-public partners to test and scale mobility solutions that improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of the city. Lidar is becoming a critical piece of infrastructure transformation, and real-world environments such as Curiosity Lab are putting concepts into action and paving the way for the future of mobility.

Ouster’s team installed the first lidar sensor at the Technology Parkway South intersection in Peachtree Corners

Bringing Digital Lidar to Traffic Intersections: Safer, More Efficient Mobility

Ouster digital lidar was selected by Curiosity Lab to monitor vehicle and pedestrian traffic at select intersections in Peachtree Corners. Deployed alongside Axis cameras, Ouster lidar captures the environment in millimeter-level detail and augments cameras’ detection during nighttime and in inclement weather such as rain.

Above: Pedestrian detected at night on an Ouster lidar versus camera

Just two Ouster lidar sensors provide full coverage of the large intersection, the crosswalk, and even the curbs, due to the sensors’ combination of high-resolution, range, and 360º field-of-view. By reducing the units needed for full coverage, lidar demonstrates the potential for cities to reduce their total costs of ownership and reduce technical complexity without compromising detection.

Feed of classified vehicles driving through Peachtree, captured on Ouster lidar that augments Axis cameras.

For this test site, Ouster lidar data is processed in real-time by software perception partner Outsight to provide object detection, classification, and tracking of cars, trucks/bus, two-wheelers, and pedestrians. Information also includes object speed and trajectory, exact position, and count. With this anonymous data, cities are able to easily access usable data and implement more advanced applications such as near-miss analysis and V2X.

Coming next: Digital Lidar for Autonomous Shuttles and V2X Applications

Equipping infrastructure with lidar prepares Curiosity Lab for the testing of connected vehicles and V2X applications. Level 4 and 5 autonomous shuttles are operating today through the smart city campus, and Ouster expects to be on next-generation autonomous electric shuttles, including the Local Motors Olli shuttle.

Lidar-equipped infrastructure and 5G-enabled vehicles can communicate via the campus’ dedicated fiber network, opening up possibilities for real-world testing of C-V2X. For example, shuttles and drivers can receive real-time alerts of detected objects on the road, such as a jaywalking pedestrian or speeding vehicle.

FedEx truck rolling through Peachtree Corners, captured on an Ouster lidar. In the future, vehicles will be able to communicate with lidar-equipped infrastructure

“Peachtree Corners is demonstrating what the future of tomorrow looks like with private enterprise and government working together to deploy a full smart city ecosystem. Together with our partners, we can test and prove out technologies in a real-world environment,” said Brandon Branham, Assistant City Manager/Chief Technology Officer of Peachtree Corners. “We’re excited to partner with Ouster which works with hundreds of customers around the world to deploy autonomy and smart infrastructure solutions powered by cutting edge digital lidar technology. We look forward to being a testbed for Ouster’s R&D programs in the ITS space, and to expanding our partnership over time as we both aim to build a safer and more sustainable future.”

The original post can be found here.

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City Government

Councilmember Eric Christ: 2025 Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections

Published

1 hour ago

March 3, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

A white man with glasses, wearing a dark colored jacket walking in the road alongside a line of vintage cars.

Source: Peachtree Corners Post 2 Councilmember Eric Christ’s recent newsletter.

Peachtree Corners Municipal Elections Tuesday, November 4 in white font on a blue background.

On Tuesday, November 4, we will have municipal elections here in the City of Peachtree Corners for three council seats. [And] for the first time since 2013, there will be a state-wide election on the same day as our city general election.

The state-wide election is to fill two seats on the Public Service Commission, which regulates Georgia Power and other utilities.

For the PSC election, the Gwinnett County Board of Elections will have all 156 county precincts open on November 4. Historically, Peachtree Corners has had a single voting location for city elections — at City Hall.

If we do the same this year, citizens who want to vote in both the PSC and the City Council elections will need to go to two places to cast their ballots.

A few years ago, I convinced the County Board of Elections to remove their prohibition against the Gwinnett Elections Department managing city elections. (Every county surrounding Gwinnett already offered this service to their cities.)

This means there is the potential of adding our city council elections to the county ballot.

I would like to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of combining our city council races with the county’s for this year’s elections.

Please complete my brief survey by clicking here.

To sign up for Councilmember Christ’s newsletter or find him on social media, visit linktr.ee/votechrist.

You can read more from his latest newsletter updates here and here.

City Government

City of Peachtree Corners Receives Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Published

1 month ago

January 31, 2025

Peachtree Corners Magazine staff

For the eighth year in a row, the City of Peachtree Corners has been esteemed with the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. This award was presented by the Georgia Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the City’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget submission.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as a:

policy document
financial plan
operations guide
communications device

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories to receive the award.

Certificate of Recognition

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award.

“Congratulations to the entire finance team on receiving this award,” said City Manager Brian Johnson.

“This recognition is a testament to our team’s hard work, professionalism and commitment to excellence.”

There are over 1,700 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website.

Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

About the GFOA

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.

About the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia

As the heart of what is being called #SiliconOrchard in the metro Atlanta region, Peachtree Corners is a vibrant municipality that’s home to more than 45,000 residents and an innovation hub that houses some of the world’s most disruptive technology companies.

As the United States’ premier smart city powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G, Peachtree Corners serves as the model for how government and private industry can better collaborate to create a better future for society and business.

From the world’s first deployment of teleoperated e-scooters to fully autonomous shuttles being utilized by actual residents, and from a solar roadway to the largest electric vehicle charging hub in the region, Peachtree Corners is where the most future-forward Internet of Things (IoT) and sustainable technologies come to life for the benefit of its people and the world.

For more information, visit peachtreecornersga.gov.

City Government

BRACK: How one city operates without property tax

Published

1 month ago

January 30, 2025

Courtesy of Elliott Brack's Gwinnett Forum

Peachtree Corners City Hall in the evening with flag display, signage and lights.

Some people lament paying taxes. They don’t understand that taxes allow us to live in a more civilized manner, helping and protecting us all along. That’s why I don’t mind paying reasonable taxes for the safety of everyday living.

Many don’t recognize it, but you are often paying a small tax without realizing it as you go about your everyday business….but it’s not called a tax.

White man with white hair and glasses wearing a suit with a red tie, smiling. Beside the image is the name Ellliott Brack in all-caps blue letters on a white background.

It’s called a “fee.” Each time you pay your power or utility bill and cable bill, your insurance premium, when you rent a hotel room or car…and other ways…you are providing a few cents or dollars to help fund mostly local government.

The newly-minted City of Mulberry (and previously Peachtree Corners) will run its government without taxing property owners paying a tax to fund its operations. How so? Entirely from fees.

Let’s visit what the other city without property taxes, Peachtree Corners, is doing.

White man with short brown hair and facial hair wearing a suit, smiling at the camera with an American flag behind him. — Salley

We talked with Cory Salley, who is the finance director for Peachtree Corners. He sent along a graphic which shows where Peachtree Corners gets its funding, as well as how it is spent. (See graphic.)

For the most part, Peachtree Corners is funded by fees. The biggest comes from Georgia Power Company, paying $2.8 million in fees for the city for 2025. Other utilities include $450,000 from Atlanta Gas Light Company; $250,000 from Comcast; $70,000 from Direct TV; and $42,000 from AT&T. (That last figure was interesting, in effect, showing how few people have land-line telephones anymore.) Altogether, utility fees brought in $4.3 million in Peachtree Corners for 2024.

Another bucket of fees include $3.8 million in insurance fees. This comes in one check from the Department of Revenue, which collects insurance fees for all cities.

Each business in Peachtree Corners pays an occupational business license tax. With lots of professional offices in the city, these businesses contribute $4.4 million to the city coffers.

Infographic of the FY2025 Budget at a Glance for Peachtree Corners

Other fee collections for 2024:

Alcoholic licenses and sales: $1 million.
Zoning and land development permits: $1.4 million.
SPLOST funds on sales within Peachtree Corners: $10 million.
Automobile and vehicle purchases: $1.7 million. This is interesting: no matter where you buy an automobile in Georgia, part of the sales tax reverts to the city where you live.

Then there are other funds coming to the city; stormwater fees, grants, solid waste, etc. Altogether, it added up to approximately a $40 million income to run the city.

Some specifics and the way they are figured:

Real estate transfer taxes: This tax is imposed at the rate of $1 on the first $1,000 and 10 cents on each additional $10 on any conveyance of real property when the value of the interest transferred exceeds $100.
Distilled Spirits—up to 22 cents per liter on package sales and up to 3 percent of the sale price of a drink on sales to the public;
Wine—up to 22 cents per liter; and
Malt Beverages—up to $6.00 per bulk container (no more than 15.5 gallons) to be paid by the wholesaler and up to 5 cents per 12 ounces when sold in bottles, cans or other containers.
A municipality may levy a business license tax on depository financial institutions (such as a bank.) The maximum rate of this tax is 0.25 percent.
Hotel-motel tax: a municipality may levy a hotel-motel tax at a rate of 3 percent or less or at a rate of 5, 6, 7, or 8 percent. (Yes, let the out-of-towner pay!)

Perhaps this gives you an idea of how a city, like Mulberry in the future, can operate without property taxes.

Have a comment? Send to: elliott@elliottbrack

Written by Elliott Brack

This material is presented with permission from Elliott Brack’s GwinnettForum, an online site published Tuesdays and Fridays. To become better informed about Gwinnett, subscribe (at no cost) at GwinnettForum.