Artificial intelligence is helping increase roadway safety in the valley. Yes, you read that right! The RTC is set to receive $2 million in federal funding as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) inaugural Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program aimed at advancing transportation safety and efficiency.

The funding will support an 18-month long pilot project that will prototype a cloud-based system that optimizes traffic signal timing to support emergency vehicles and buses, as well as artificial intelligence analytics at intersections within the City of Las Vegas.

What exactly does this all mean?

• Emergency vehicle response times will be improved by adjusting the timing of traffic lights at intersections to prioritize approaching emergency vehicles, allowing them to pass safely and quickly.
• Roadway safety will increase by monitoring traffic conditions and movements at intersections to better understand unsafe driving patterns such as near-misses and red-light running.
• Transit service dependability will improve by implementing transit signal priority testing. This technology detects approaching buses and may extend green lights to help them get through signalized intersections.

Pretty neat, right? For more details on this project visit https://bit.ly/3oabZQn.