Four Boston intersections are being helped by artificial intelligence (AI) after a partnership with Google’s Project Green Light, according to city officials.
"It provides our traffic engineers with important data to tweak a signal by seconds, which can help reduce congestion along a corridor," said Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston's chief of streets.
Boston and Seattle are the only two cities that partnered with Google. The partnership began in February, and the project has analyzed data from hundreds of intersections to recommendations for optimization. Traffic engineers from the Boston Department of Transportation assess the recommendations.
"The technology uses AI to model traffic patterns and creates signal timing recommendations that can reduce stop-and-go traffic and emissions," Boston's statement said.
The signal timing recommendations were implemented in the Fenway-Kenmore, Mission hill, and Jamaica Plain neighborhoods.
"At the intersections of Huntington Ave. & Opera Place and at Amory Street & Green Street, stop-and-go traffic has been reduced by over 50%. Cities around the world that use Project Green Light have experienced a 10% average reduction in emissions," the statement said.
Working with Project Green Light has helped ensure that monitoring infrastructure is working, according to city officials.
"This innovative work with the latest technology from Google’s Project Green Light will help relieve the frustrating congestion that so many of our residents face, while helping to reduce emissions and inefficiencies on our city streets," Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement.
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Source: WCVB, CBS Boston
