Queensland council becomes first in Australia to use AI traffic lights

A Queensland council has given the green light to a surprising new use of AI technology.

In what is believed to be an Aussie first, the City of Moreton Bay has agreed to introduce AI-powered traffic lights to its junctions.

The cutting-edge technology will set new sequences at the junctions in a bid to reduce the amount of time people spend sitting at red lights.

Currently the lights are sequenced using a system that has been in place since the 1980s, known as a “first come, first served” basis.

But the AI signals will run on a “movement-based” control system, without being tied to a specific sequence.

Mayor Peter Flannery said the change promised to be a “game-changer”.

“We’re excited to be the first in Australia to trial technology that has the very real potential to improve the flow of traffic around our road network,” he said.

“The technology effectively uses both AI and advanced algorithms to inform optimised traffic operations under a new traffic management approach.

“This means that higher traffic flows of vehicles, including public transport, can be prioritised dynamically through the day.”

It will potentially mean that if a certain route has a heavier flow of traffic on a specific day, the sequencing can be adjusted to help clear the congestion.

“There is the potential to substantially reduce the time motorists spend unnecessarily sitting at red lights, which is often constrained by legacy traffic control methods, and this can be extremely frustrating especially when there are no cars in sight,” Mr Flannery added.

“This presents the opportunity to reduce emissions as vehicles will idle less at traffic lights.”

The new traffic lights will first be installed at the junction of Moreton Parade and Paper Ave in Petrie later this year.

If it proves successful, the council will then test it at more complex junctions in its road network.