Wellington to use AI for traffic monitoring

Imagine if there were smart sensors that could help a city understand how people move around – whether they walk, ride bikes, or drive cars. Well, Wellington City Council in New Zealand is using these special sensors called VivaCity to do just that.

These sensors use something called artificial intelligence to count and collect data about different types of transportation, like cars, trucks, bicycles, scooters, buses, and people walking. They even watch how fast everyone is going!

Why is this important? Well, by knowing how people use the roads and cycle paths, the city can make things better for everyone. They can figure out if bike lanes are being used a lot or if there are traffic jams in certain areas. Then, they can make changes to help things run smoother.

The cool thing about these sensors is that they work all day, every day. That means the city can see how things change during different seasons or when there are big events happening. It’s like having a super-smart traffic detective!

Plus, these sensors can help solve disagreements. In a place far away in the United Kingdom, people argued about whether to keep a new bike lane or not. But the data from one of these sensors showed that more cyclists used the lane than people who wanted it gone. So, the sensor helped make the decision!

The Wellington City Council is already working hard to make it easier and safer for people to walk and ride bikes. These smart sensors will make their job even better by giving them lots of information to make the city’s streets work even better for everyone.