🤓 Smart Roads? TxDOT to use AI to help detect Houston traffic, incidents

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Here are the updated traffic trends for Houston highways

HOUSTON – Houston is known for many things. Just ask around and you might hear about our history in the space race, being home to the best rodeo around and... traffic.

There’s a well-known saying that goes: “Houston is an hour away from Houston.”

It’s not just a joke. Driving from one side of the city to the other can take much longer than that during rush hour.

But that commute could be getting a little bit easier, thanks to AI.

Traffic congestion and safety challenges are getting a high-tech upgrade through a multimillion-dollar partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation and artificial intelligence company Rekor Systems.

The initiative aims to transform Houston’s roadways into “smart roads” by leveraging artificial intelligence and real-time data collection to improve emergency response times and enhance driver safety.

“At the end of the day, you can get from point A to point B faster, safer, and the most reliable way possible,” says Matthew-Paul Zamsky, Executive Director of Rekor’s Command Division.

The system collects data from multiple sources, including roadside sensors, cameras, GPS devices, and even vehicles themselves.

Yes, you read that right. If your car has a modem on board for services like OnStar, it could be sharing data that’s helping traffic.

This information helps identify traffic patterns, incidents, and potential hazards in real-time.

“We cannot trace it back to a specific person,” Zamsky explains. “The car acts as a virtual sensor, providing information such as speed, location, braking, and swerving patterns.”

Early success in incident detection

The technology has already shown promising results.

Rekor has been deployed in the Austin area for the last four years.

According to Zamsky, the system detects accidents approximately nine minutes faster than traditional 911 calls, enabling quicker emergency response times.

While interviewing Zamsky for this story, we got to see how the system would respond in real-time.

Along the Southwest Freeway, a vehicle with a blown tire exited on the feeder road.

Zamsky explains that the system rapidly identifies vehicles that are broken down.

Within seconds, the incident is flagged to Houston’s TranStar Center, while simultaneously pushing warnings to nearby drivers’ GPS devices and vehicle display screens.

This isn’t a service you need to subscribe to, it’s happening by just using the devices that are enabled with the technology.

Comprehensive data integration

The smart road technology integrates various data points to create a comprehensive view of road conditions:

Real-time traffic flow monitoring
Incident detection and verification
Vehicle behavior patterns

While the system won’t eliminate Houston’s traffic challenges entirely, it represents a significant step toward more efficient traffic management and improved road safety.

The initiative is part of a broader state contract with Rekor Systems, including the most rural parts of the Lone Star State.

While the state-wide contract has been signed, there’s no official launch date for the program. Rekor says they’re ready to launch with the push of a button.

KPRC 2 asked TxDOT for an interview or comment for inclusion in our reporting. A spokesperson acknowledged our request, but did not provide a statement.