As communities are being called by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation safety in their communities through the “Mayors’ Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets,”Gridsmart Technologies Inc. has developed and deployed technology that collects real-time traffic information that can be used to improve safety at intersections.
Gridsmart Technologies, Inc. makes the Gridsmart System, a single-camera, tracking-based vision solution for actuation and data collection at intersections and highways. The Gridsmart System uses a single camera with an ultra-wide angle lens to track all movement in its field of view, which allows for real-time management of intersections, including detecting cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians while recording turning movements, vehicle counts and vehicle lengths. The system can even detect pedestrians or bicyclists moving through crosswalks.
“The Gridsmart System makes intelligent decisions based on understanding how the different objects in the intersection are actually moving,” said Jeffery Price, chief of Technology. “If the system detects a pedestrian or bicyclist moving in a crosswalk, for example, a signal can be sent to extend the pedestrian walk time or notify turning traffic to mitigate accidents.”
The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have been on the rise in recent years and now represent nearly 17 percent of total fatalities. The Gridsmart System is an opportunity for communities of all sizes to deploy cost-effective technology that improves the safety and efficiency of their transportation network.