The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority announced on Sept. 14 the completion of a traffic monitoring system powered by artificial intelligence to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety around the city’s streetcar lines.
The RTA partnered with the New Orleans Department of Public Works and with NoTraffic for their AI sensors and software. Blackstar Diversified Enterprises, a Black-owned small business traffic controls systems integrator, completed the installation near the historic Canal Street Ferry Terminal and Four Seasons Hotel.
“Over time, drivers, transit passengers, and pedestrians will notice a difference in commute times and will experience more efficient every day travel,” the companies said in a press release.
In 2018, the most recent year for which data was available, streetcars were involved in 114 collisions, according to Nola.com. Injuries can include motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and those riding the streetcars. In 2021, 173 pedestrians were injured and 21 killed in all traffic crashes in New Orleans.
“Implementation of this technology will constitute a significant breakthrough in the field of communications between road users and traffic infrastructure and is a fundamental milestone in the smart mobility era for the city of New Orleans,” the companies said in a press release.
