North Texas to pilot mobility data using street assets

Cities in North Texas are preparing to pilot new mobility and energy-efficient digital services on existing street infrastructure as part of a programme that will test traffic analytics, pedestrian and cyclist safety tools, EV charging enablement and connected mobility support.

The pilots, expected to take place in 2026, will involve Portuguese start-up Omniflow working with local authorities following its selection as the winner of the 2025 Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge run by the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA).

The initiative is intended to help cities assess whether new digital services can be delivered using assets such as streetlights and street furniture, rather than through new infrastructure deployments.

“For our first pilots in North Texas, we are prioritising mobility-focused use cases such as traffic flow analytics, pedestrian and cyclist safety, EV charging enablement, and support infrastructure for connected mobility services,” Pedro Ruão, Founder & CEO of Omniflow, told Cities Today. “These use cases are highly relevant for US municipalities because they deliver fast, visible value while leveraging existing street infrastructure rather than requiring new deployments.”

The system combines wind and solar generation with energy storage and a grid connection, allowing digital services to operate while drawing less power from the grid. The company says installations typically involve minimal retrofitting and avoid major civil works, enabling pilots to be deployed without disrupting existing street operations.

“By combining renewable generation with grid connection, Omniflow reduces grid energy consumption for lighting and digital services by more than 90 percent,” Ruão said. “From a data governance perspective, Omniflow processes data locally at the edge whenever possible, giving cities control over data flows while minimising bandwidth usage and privacy risks.”

NTXIA will support participating cities as pilots progress, helping assess results and determine whether deployments can be expanded across the region. The alliance works with public agencies and private companies to align technology pilots with defined community needs and to encourage collaboration beyond individual projects.

“At NTXIA, our goal is to support both public and private entities in the smart cities space and to encourage these entities to come together for the long-term benefit of our communities,” said Jennifer Sanders, Executive Director of NTXIA. “Once the match is identified as a fit and initial piloting and testing begin, NTXIA can then help promote the pilot to cross-regional partners and additional private and public entities.”

Planning, travel and engagement activities are expected to continue through 2026 as North Texas cities evaluate how renewable-powered street infrastructure can support mobility and digital services using existing assets.

Main image: Christopher Liao | Dreamstime.com