Why Are Small Black Boxes Appearing on Poles in Kingston?

Many residents are wondering why they have begun to see small black boxes on poles scattered across Kingston, NY.

Have you noticed that on some of the roads we all drive on in the Hudson Valley, there are various pieces of equipment that have started showing up on road signs and the wires that hold up traffic lights? A few years ago, while I was driving in Poughkeepsie, I noticed an interesting piece of equipment on a street sign at the corner of Taft and Main....

Doesn't it look like a piece of spy equipment? From what I've been told, it's some sort of emergency service antenna, so it's important....LOL! Residents in the Kingston area have had a similar question recently.

Black Boxes Appear in Kingston, NY

Drivers in Kingston have reported that they have noticed seeing some small black boxes mounted on poles or other fixtures scattered across the City of Kingston. Many of the drivers wondered what they were being used for.

Thankfully, the City of Kingston Police Department (KPD) has provided an explanation behind the "mysterious" black boxes, saying on social media that the boxes are part of a temporary traffic data collection project being conducted by National Data & Surveying Services (NDS).

What Do the Black Boxes Do?

Police said that the boxes were requested by the NYS Department of Transportation and are used to collect "non-intrusive traffic data," including the number of vehicles using the specific road, speeds, and travel patterns. All of the information collected is used by city planners and engineers to give them a better understanding of how traffic flows through Kingston and where improvements may be needed.

SEE ALSO: New Speed Cameras to be Installed in Ulster County

KPD explained that the NDS devices do not record video or audio, and do not collect any personal or identifying information. Their sole responsibility is to anonymously track vehicle movement for traffic analysis.

Are the Black Boxes Permanent?

The black boxes will only be monitoring specific roads temporarily and will be removed once the data collection period is complete, according to KPD. They are expected to be taken down and picked up by Friday, July 11th.