Latest news with #trafficSafety
CBC
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- CBC
After deadly year on roads, Calgary explores using drones and VR for traffic safety
After reporting an 11-year high for collision fatalities last year, Calgary is turning to new technology in an attempt to make its roads safer. Calgary is the first Canadian city to test drones and virtual reality to monitor traffic in real time. The city has purchased around seven drones to monitor traffic, and allow city staff to understand how crowd patterns are forming and whether officers are needed to control traffic. Operators at the city's traffic management centre are also piloting a virtual reality headset to keep an eye on congestion at intersections, and adjust traffic signals in real time. It's currently being tested at Macleod Trail and 42nd Avenue S.W. These new tools come after 29 people died in collisions in 2024, including 13 pedestrians. "I'm really hopeful and optimistic that we can alleviate some of the pressure on traffic, and maybe calm drivers down to some degree so that we're not experiencing the same amount of collisions that we have seen in the past — in particular the collisions between vehicles and pedestrians where lives were lost," said Mayor Jyoti Gondek. Aside from safety, Gondek said the city's goal is to use these tools to make road travel faster and more predictable. The VR headset was tested during the recent G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis, Alta., when thousands of people from across the world were travelling through Calgary. Gondek said it was a success. "We had a lot of motorcades passing through and so we had to accommodate those, but very quickly the teams at the traffic management centre were able to reset the signals to allow for full flow of traffic again," she said. The city plans to expand the VR program to up to 15 more locations next year, said Ravi Seera, Calgary's acting director of mobility. Seera said it cost the city roughly $10,000 to bring the VR headsets online, adding that each drone costs "less than $1,000." But he said these tools should save the city money in the long run. "The whole intention behind the pilot is we want to make sure there is value behind the investment. So we are looking at low-cost, high-value investments," said Seera. Faster Google Maps updates Calgary has also landed a partnership with Google to make it the first city in the world to upload images directly to Google Street View. Gondek said that means Calgarians will get faster updates and more accurate information on Google Maps. City staff is also exploring partnerships with similar platforms like Apple Maps. "On average, it takes Google about two to three years to update their maps. We're enabling them to do it within about six months," said Gondek. Similar to Toronto, the City of Calgary is also partnering with Waze, a popular navigation app. "Calgary has created a two-way data connection with Waze, which gives drivers and the city access to live traffic updates on closures and detours, and it helps drivers to report any incidents and delays that they may be witnessing in real time," said Gondek. In addition, the city is using artificial intelligence for traffic counting. City staff are also looking into ways AI can help to prevent potholes or cracks in roads. "What we expect is in a few years, that would replace our manual data collection and inspection of our roadways. It will give us information about which roads need to be paved," said Seera. Gondek said the city has robust safety protocols in place to ensure all data is protected.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Four new red light cameras coming to Brantford
A red light camera warning sign on Huron Church Road in Windsor, Ont. on May 30, 2024. (Rich Garton/CTV Windsor News) Drivers will soon be forced to pay up for blowing through a red light in Brantford. Four new red light cameras will be up and running as of July 1. The new locations include: Lynden Road at Wayne Gretzky Parkway West Street at Fairview Drive Dunsdon Street at Park Road North King George Road at Charing Cross/Queensway Drive In a release, the city said the locations were chosen based on traffic safety data, including collision frequency and severity. The fine for running a red light is set at $325. The fine is issued to the owner of the vehicle, regardless of who is driving it at the time. The city currently has six other red light cameras.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
San Francisco's "Vision Zero" failing, more SFPD traffic enforcement needed, grand jury says
A new report released by the San Francisco Civil Grand Jury finds the city's "Vision Zero" program, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths, is falling far short of its goal. The report, titled "Failed Vision: Revamping the Roadmap to Safer Streets", was released on Tuesday. Implemented in 2014, the Vision Zero program sought to eliminate all traffic fatalities in the city in 10 years. A decade later, 2024 was the deadliest year on the city's roadways since 2007. Jurors found while the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency has implemented a range of measures increasing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, the San Francisco Police Department has drastically reduced its enforcement of traffic laws since the program was implemented a decade ago. "There's a sense of lawlessness on the city streets, due to the almost complete lack of enforcement in recent years," foreperson Michael Carboy said in a statement. "This report highlights how excessive speeding and reckless driving of a few increases risks to everyone—pedestrians, bicyclists and other people in cars." The report found the number of traffic citations issued by SFPD dropped by 95%, from more than 120,000 in 2014 to a little over 4,000 in 2022, before increasing to 15,500 last year. "Through numerous interviews, the Jury found that the primary reason for the stunning drop in citations is that police leadership does not prioritize traffic enforcement and does not hold officers accountable for performing what has historically been a part of an officer's day-to-day job. Over time, this lack of prioritization and accountability has metastasized into a seemingly broad acceptance within the SFPD culture that traffic enforcement is not a valued part of an officer's job. The result is the virtual abdication by SFPD of its essential role in keeping our streets safe," the report said. The jurors also found the department has outdated technology for issuing traffic citations, leading officers to issue handwritten tickets and wasting staff time. Jurors issued several recommendations to SFPD including urging the police chief to implement more stringent traffic enforcement and to expedite the deployment of improved technology for issuing citations and reporting crashes. The police department is also being urged to implement a training program to educate officers about the toll of traffic collisions, the importance of enforcement and the highest-risk violations of the traffic code. The grand jury also issued recommendations to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to improve its planning on traffic safety measures and to adopt an "area-based" approach rather than focus on individual intersections or corridors. In addition, the jury also called for the SFMTA to develop a new street safety education campaign for all road users, which includes working with the San Francisco Unified School District on materials aimed at children.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
Oman starts work on Sultan Said bin Taimour Road project
Oman's Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has announced that work has started on the dual-carriageway of Sultan Said bin Taimour Road for parts (3, 4, and 5), spanning approximately 400km, reported Oman News Agency. The Sultan Said bin Taimour Road project, which is being set up at a total cost of over RO258 million ($669 million), ($669 million), will be implemented in three phases. It is due for completion by 2028, it stated. The road is designed for year-round accessibility across various weather conditions and will improve traffic safety through concrete/steel barriers, reflectors, road markings, and warning signs, said the report. It will also support economic, tourism, commercial, and social development, it added. Engineer Said Mohammed Tabook, Director General of Roads and Land Transport in Dhofar Governorate, said the executing companies have begun construction work on the three parts. The Part 3, spanning over 132.5km, extends from Haima to Maqshin, Part 4 covers about 135 km from Maqshin to Dokha, while Part 5 stretches 132.5 km from Dokha to Thumrait, he added.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'We want safety for all users' as finish nears for Greater Grand Forks' streets plan
Jun. 14—GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks-East Grand Forks Metropolitan Planning Organization will be opening public comment on the final draft of its Safe Streets for All Plan on June 16. The plan has been in the works for more than a year to identify community needs, actionable steps and projects that Grand Forks and East Grand Forks can take to address traffic safety. The Safe Streets For All, or SS4A, plan isn't just one by the MPO, but a plan for which both cities applied and received a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct. "A lot of work has gone into this, everything from lots of conversations from various entities and organizations across the region, but also just a lot of engagement," Blue Weber of Bolton and Menk, one of the consultants helping with the plan, told the East Grand Forks City Council on June 10. "It's been a blast." The public will be able to leave comments on the plan's website: . Once adopted by both cities, the plan will open funding opportunities for safe street improvements, along with potentially making grant and other traffic funding applications stronger. The SS4A program was established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, which set aside $5 billion in funds between 2022 and 2026 to reduce roadway deaths across the country. "An important part with the safety action plan with the SS4A funding is to try to bundle some of these projects," Weber told the Grand Forks City Council on June 9. "You never want to just go after one, because this is an awesome, huge pot of money that you really want to try to sell this story of implementing safety within your community." Since starting the plan in May 2024, seven public engagement events have been held to allow residents to comment on their priorities for traffic safety and to learn more about the plan. Those ranged from traditional open houses where people could take in information and ask questions to staff and consultants, to more interactive events, like a walking audit of 17th Avenue South in Grand Forks. Final adoption of the plan is proposed for sometime in July or August after public comment and both city councils have met in a joint meeting to provide their input. Another in-person engagement event is planned for later in June to allow for more comments. The plan is split into eight chapters and follows a format similar to other traffic plans that the MPO has created, like the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. It includes an overview of demographics, peer community reviews, how it was created, data and implementation strategies. Roads like 32nd Avenue South and Washington Street in Grand Forks and Bygland Road in East Grand Forks received some of the most comments from the public about potential improvements. Additionally, creating better pedestrian and bike connections across Greater Grand Forks was desired. "This is a community plan. This is not just something that MPO filed for themselves. Both the communities of East Grand Forks and Grand Forks really had to partake in this," Weber said in East Grand Forks. "One of the biggest things that came out of all our engagement with the community is we want safety for all users."
