AI traffic lights to be trialled on major Brisbane roads

Brisbane City Council is set to trial artificial intelligence-powered traffic lights on two major roads, with the aim of reducing travel times and improving road safety. The technology will be installed at 22 intersections on Logan Road and 15 intersections on the Kelvin Grove Road corridor, replacing the current phase-based system.

How the AI system works

Brisbane City Council transport chair Ryan Murphy said the system would sit on the existing infrastructure "like a top hat", with cameras able to identify pedestrians, cyclists, cars, trucks and public transport. The technology will be able to determine the volume of traffic and queue lengths at intersections and use that information to calculate the best traffic light sequence.

"The system will learn over time and will be able to suggest different interventions to the operators," he said.

"It will give us the ability to truly manage our transport network rather than just observe it. This is not just about optimising flow for cars, but it is about public transport, active transport and freight."

The technology has the ability to adapt to cater for weather conditions and major events, like football games. Cr Murphy said there would always be "a human in the loop" and all data collected would be retained in Brisbane.

"Faces are blurred, number plates are blurred and no data will be sent off shore," he said.

Potential benefits and rollout

The council says the system, which has been rolled out in other major cities worldwide, could reduce travel time by up to 15 per cent on average and reduce rear-end crashes by 12 per cent. The $15 million trial is set to begin early next year and run for six months, after which it will be determined whether the system will be rolled out across the council's network of 1,000 intersections.

Cr Murphy said in the coming weeks work would begin behind the scenes to build the software and integrate it with the current system. When it comes to who is prioritised at the intersections, Cr Murphy said the council would "decide the rule set".

"There are some corridors that we may want to optimise for pedestrian movement, for example in the CBD, there are other corridors where we may want to optimise them for freight during the day," he said.

Reaction from stakeholders

RACQ's public policy executive manager Michael Kane welcomed the announcement, saying it was important to look beyond a single intersection and two roads to the whole network.

"What we think is really important is how this technology can continue to be with us for a long time," he said.

"As our infrastructure gets better it really then doubles up the benefit that we can deliver."

Labor Opposition leader Jared Cassidy said the development came two years after the council announced it would explore the technology. He said while Labor was supportive of technological advancements, a better plan was needed for the city.

"This isn't the solution to Brisbane's congestion problem but hopefully it makes some small difference," he said.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the decision showed the council understood the technology could be used for good or "evil".

"This is using it for a good purpose, this is using it to get traffic flowing, to improve safety [and] prioritise public transport," he said.