In a bid to improve traffic flow and road safety for pedestrians and cyclists, the City Council of Glasgow, Scotland is working with transport technology company VivaCity. VivaCity will provide sensors at two key intersections in the city that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve cycle and vehicle detection, enabling traffic signals to respond more effectively.
The city currently uses VivaCity technology to improve bus journey times to and from the city center and reduce the time pedestrians have to wait to cross intersections. There, the sensors anonymously count the number of pedestrians waiting to cross, providing larger groups with greater priority. Buses are detected on the approaches to the crossing so that bus and pedestrian movements can be balanced.
Along with collecting multimodal data to feed the traffic signals and therefore optimize the crossing, the sensors also gather accurate, detailed and anonymous data on other travel modes. All of this data is used to provide a clearer understanding of how these intersections are used to ensure that the new layouts meet the needs of all road users.
“Our AI technology is designed to make cities safer and more efficient for everyone,” said Mark Nicholson, CEO of VivaCity. “By improving traffic signal responsiveness and providing valuable insights into road usage, we are confident that this partnership will help to improve travel in Glasgow and make it safer. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this collaboration will bring to the city.”
The project is being funded by the Glasgow City Region City Deal, an initiative to invest over £1bn in transport improvements and infrastructure in the Glasgow City Region.