AI traffic lights coming to Brisbane, but a human will be kept 'in the loop'
Two major Brisbane roads will be part of a trial of AI--assisted traffic lights from next year.
From next year, two key Brisbane thoroughfares will see AI assist with traffic light management as part of a pioneering trial. Brisbane City Council's transport chair, Ryan Murphy, explained that the system will piggyback on the current infrastructure, much like a top hat, rather than requiring a complete overhaul. Utilising cameras to recognize pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles, and public transport, the AI will ascertain traffic volumes and queue lengths at key junctions, then employ this data to devise optimal traffic light sequences.
The council asserts this marks the first instance of such a system in all of Australia. Installed at 22 intersections along Logan Road and 15 on the Kelvin Grove Road corridor, replacing traditional phase-based traffic lights introduced in the 1950s, the technology aims to streamline the city's transport network, not just car flow but also public and active transport, freight, and even respond to weather conditions and significant events like football matches.
Despite being automated, Murphy emphasized that human oversight will persist, with all data remaining within Brisbane's jurisdiction; faces will be obscured, and no personal information will be exported. If successful, the $15 million six-month trial could shave up to 15% off average travel times and cut rear-end collisions by 12%.
The council plans to evaluate whether to expand this AI system across Brisbane's 1,000 intersections following the trial. Murphy stated that the council itself will determine the prioritization at intersections, whether that be more pedestrian movement in the CBD or freight during normal business hours. This announcement follows Moreton City Council's recent plan to trial AI traffic signals at a single intersection later this year, a move praised by RACQ's public policy executive Michael Kane for setting a long-term benchmark rather than a one-off solution.
Queensland Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy lauded the development, acknowledging it came two years after council officials first flagged their interest in the technology, but noted it's merely a step towards addressing the broader congestion issue. Last week, Brisbane's Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner defended the use of AI smart glasses for monitoring pools, stressing that such tech can be wielded for beneficial purposes.
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