St. Pete Adds AI Smart Traffic Lights to Cut Down on Delays
Bumper to bumper traffic has only gotten worse in the Tampa Bay area, officials are hoping a new AI technology will help alleviate traffic patterns and problems. Thanks to a…
Bumper to bumper traffic has only gotten worse in the Tampa Bay area, officials are hoping a new AI technology will help alleviate traffic patterns and problems. Thanks to a $1.16 million state grant, St. Pete crews started putting in 15 smart traffic lights on busy roads. The work focuses on 66th Street and Tyrone Boulevard, kicking off a high-tech solution to traffic problems.
Each light has cameras that watch traffic patterns in real time. It's the first step in St. Pete's bigger plan to reduce drive times using new technology. "If there are a lot of vehicles in a certain direction, then it will give more green time to that one particular direction. So, it can be more responsive," said the city’s Transportation Manager Cheryl Stacks.
Buses and emergency vehicles get special treatment at intersections. When they come near, the system keeps green lights on longer or switches other lights to red, clearing their path.
These lights aren't just for handling traffic. They come with safety features that can warn nearby cars about dangers and bad weather.
St. Pete is leading the way in Florida's push to modernize traffic. Right across the bay, Tampa's already seeing good results with Rekor's system, which spots road problems quickly.
The project costs less than widening roads. Traffic experts point out that adding lanes doesn't fix traffic jams - smart systems work better to handle more cars. The city of St. Pete will have to pay for this project upfront, but will be reimbursed by the FDOT
The city will check how well this first batch works. If it helps traffic on these test roads, they might add more lights across St. Pete's most crowded streets.
Other cities using these systems say they can deal with accidents faster. Police get better tools too, like automatic license plate scanning and quick problem spotting.
This update is part of St. Pete's bigger traffic plan. As more cars hit the road each year, city leaders want to keep traffic moving without building bigger roads.
