Deploying LiDAR at Urban Intersections: A Case Study on Installation, Integration, and Early Data Access Challenges

This paper presents a deployment-focused case study of a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-based traffic monitoring system at a signalized intersection in Melbourne, Florida. While past work highlights LiDAR sensing and algorithms under controlled settings, far less is known about how installation steps, infrastructure limits, and team coordination shape early field performance. The study uses site assessments, installation logs, technical manuals, and initial BlueCity analytics to evaluate four areas: installation timing, technical issues, stakeholder coordination, and early system readiness. Results show that mounting geometry, power and network setup, and cross-team coordination had more impact on early function than sensor specs. Yet, the system still produced credible multimodal traffic patterns from a 24-h dataset. The findings point to the need for clear deployment protocols, pre-install connectivity checks, and coordinated workflows to scale LiDAR sensing across municipal Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) networks.