Glasgow City Council harnesses AI to improve traffic flow and road safety

Viva City has partnered with Glasgow City Council to improve traffic flow and road safety for pedestrians and cyclists with AI-powered sensor technology.

Glasgow City Council has commissioned sensors at two key intersections on Byres Road: the junction with Church Road and White Street, and the junction at Dumbarton Road, to improve cycle and vehicle detection, enabling traffic signals to respond more effectively.

The project is being funded by the Glasgow City Region City deal, which is an initiative to invest over £1 billion in transport improvements and infrastructure in the Glasgow City Region.

VivaCity technology is also being used on a crossing on Paisley Road West, to improve bus journey times to and from the city centre and reduce the time pedestrians have to wait to cross junctions. 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 enabling Glasgow City Council to balance bus and pedestrian movements at the crossing using the VivaCity sensor capability to assess different classes, directions and volumes of road users, and feed that data into the traffic signal controller.

Besides collecting multimodal data to feed the traffic signals and therefore optimise the crossing, the sensors also gather accurate, detailed and anonymous data on other travel modes. This data is also being used to provide a clearer understanding of how these junctions are used to ensure that the new junction layouts meet the needs of all road users. This is completed while also providing real-time data for signal control.

“Our AI technology is designed to make cities safer and more efficient for everyone. 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,” says Mark Nicholson, CEO of VivaCity.