Parsons Corporation has announced the launch of its new Intelligent Intersections solution, which uses advanced analytics and algorithms to reduce congestion and improve mobility around cities.
Using data already being generated at the intersection from existing sensors, the software solution provides a dashboard that allows traffic engineers to visualise information and deploys an algorithm that allows automated retiming of traffic signals.
Before coronavirus-related shutdowns, the United States lost 6.3 billion hours and US$88 billion worth of productivity to congestion each year, while creating 30 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions . While Covid-19 closures have decreased emissions by as much as 26% around the world, experts expect traffic levels to resume over time.
Retiming signals – typically an expensive, time consuming, manual process – can reduce congestion at intersections by up to 40%, in turn reducing GHG emissions by an estimated 4.9 million tons per year and lowering productivity losses by an estimated US$27 billion annually.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for agility, efficiency and predictability in all aspects of life, including how cities manage the flow of traffic,” said Andrew Liu, senior vice president, smart cities for Parsons. “The Intelligent Intersections tool is designed to improve mobility, whether that means reducing congestion at the peak of rush hour or cycling through signals more effectively as traffic rises back toward pre-Covid-19 levels. By unlocking the data available at intersections, our solution allows traffic engineers to retime signals up to 20 times more frequently and make more efficient, effective traffic management decisions.”
The solution will be deployed in four cities around the United States in the coming months, including Frontier Metropolitan Planning Organization (FMPO)/Fort Smith, Arkansas; Austin, Texas; Westminster, Colorado; and Walnut Creek, California. Using existing city sensors to analyse traffic data and provide signal timing recommendations, these pilot programs are expected to yield outcomes including reduced travel delays and improved driver satisfaction, as well as supporting each city’s efforts to promote safety.
Parsons’ Intelligent Intersections solution is part of a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to help change the way cities move.
