New AI Technology will improve downtown traffic flow

Smart technology will be installed on July 3rd at Grand River Street North intersection

This week the County of Brant announced, that in collaboration with Brant Municipal Enterprises, smart technology will be installed on July 3rd at the downtown Paris intersection to help improve the flow of traffic and reduce wait times

The AI technology was approved by the Administrative and Operations committee during a meeting on April 11. Committee members received a report, prepared by Roads Technologist Rick Knap, which outlines the results of a recent traffic study conducted at the main intersection of Grand River Street North and William Street. The study happened on November 22, 2022, after the new left turn lane was installed for vehicles turning left onto Grand River Street North from William Street It showed that the peak traffic hours are between 8:15 am and 9:15 am with 1,439 vehicles travelling through that downtown intersection and again between 3:15 pm and 4:15 pm with 1,749 vehicles entering the intersection

The Barnes Farm Dance crosswalk was also monitored with a total of 688 people utilizing it that day and only 29 people were not compliant, meaning they did not wait for the pedestrian walk signal before crossing The busiest time for pedestrian crossing was between 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm with 191 people crossing the busy intersection.

This new technology will utilize a combination of AI technologies, this integrated system will offer real-time traffic optimization, deployment flexibility, built-in performance measurement, and multi-modal detection capabilities. In short, it will monitor each signal cycle and will adapt to the minimum and maximum time periods for each phase, which will further improve the traffic movement during the varying peak period volumes. It will also collect data to improve strategic decision making and plan for future enhancements.

The technology also focuses on safety. It interprets traffic data, optimizing traffic flow, and reducing potential hazards on the road.

New smart technology will aim to improve traffic congestion at Paris’ main downtown intersection, pictured above. It’s the first of its kind in the County of Brant. Other municipalities like Cambridge, Kitchener and Milton are already using this type of technology to improve traffic flow

With adaptive traffic signal control features, it adjusts to realtime road conditions, preventing accidents and unsafe situations. It also considers all types of commuters – vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and other active modes of transportation “As the County continues to grow and people continue to visit the area, we are looking for new ways to improve traffic flow in congested areas,” said Rob Walton, General Manager of Operations, in a County of Brant news release issued this week “Installing new technology at intersections throughout the County of Brant will help create efficiencies in real-time traffic optimizations and improve the commuters’ experience.”

The William Street / Grand River Street North intersection isn’t the only one to receive this technology. It will be installed at Cockshutt Road at County Road 18 and at Bishopsgate Road at King Street

The new smart technology will be the first of its kind in the County of Brant. Other municipalities who currently use this technology include Cambridge, Milton and Kitchener and many others across North America