The project will look to increase pedestrian safety in the busy Fremont Street area by installing AI pedestrian detection systems, which adjust traffic signals and crossing flasher timing in real time based on the volume of pedestrians waiting to cross and the time it takes them to cross the street.
The federal award is from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Rep Dina Titus, D-Nev. helped secure.
“Las Vegas will pilot adaptive technology, significantly reducing pedestrian-related crashes and improving traffic flow along our community’s roadways,” Titus said in a statement. “I will keep working in Congress to secure funding for projects that help safely move all roadway users around the Valley.”
In addition to the AI system, the project adds adaptive traffic signals along the corridor and an inclusive push-button system where vulnerable road users would get a longer crossing time by using a government-issued concession card.
Fremont Street was chosen for the pilot program because it sees roughly 26 million visitors per year. The majority of those visitors walk Fremont Street Experience, the five-block outdoor destination featuring a massive LED canopy, lined with shops, restaurants and casinos with multiple pedestrian crossings along the corridor.
The 16 pilot intersections will be located between a section of Las Vegas Boulevard and Main Street and Ogden and Carson avenues. The city plans to have the new technology in place and operational in early 2025. Adding the AI technology fits within the city’s larger Vision Zero program, which is aimed at increasing roadway safety throughout the city.
“The city of Las Vegas is thankful for these federal grant funds so that this new technology can be tested and potentially lead to our roadways being safer for everyone,” Joey Paskey, director of public works for the city, said in a statement. The city is committed to safety through our Vision Zero program.”
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