Brisbane City Council is preparing to upgrade Brisbane’s ageing traffic management system with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).
An industry briefing this week will bring together experts from across Australia and the world to discuss potential traffic solutions for Brisbane and outline the next steps in the procurement process for the new Smarter Suburban Corridors program.
The program seeks to deliver a significant step change in transport management across the city’s suburban corridors and network.
By upgrading Brisbane’s traffic management system with cutting-edge technology, we can keep more people moving reliably and safely, said Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner.
“We live in one of Australia’s fastest growing capital cities and it’s critical that we keep Brisbane moving.”
“But as our population continues to grow, our existing technology needs a significant upgrade to ensure we can meet the city’s evolving demands.
“When our existing system was implemented, floppy disks where the height of data management and mobile phones couldn’t fit in a pocket.
“We are seeking advanced traffic management solutions that can learn, predict, adapt, plan and control to optimise our existing network and make smarter use of the road corridors we already have.
 “By upgrading our existing transport infrastructure, we can identify the most efficient and effective solutions and get people where they want to go sooner and safer,” he said.
The program focuses on:
- maximising existing road infrastructure and assets;
- increasing the reliable movement of people across the network;
- and enhancing safety through innovative solutions.
The Council says smart technology was already making a difference globally, with Manchester trialling 500 sensors that led to a 23% improvement in traffic flow.
Council currently manages more than 5,800km of road, over 1000 signalised crossings and intersections, and 18 key traffic corridors.
The current traffic signalling technology is based on road-embedded sensors.
The Smarter Suburban Corridors program is part of the Council’s Race to Gold transport plan to deliver a legacy transport network for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.
“As outlined in the Schrinner Council’s Race to Gold plan, these upgrades are part of delivering a transport legacy for years to come,” said Chair for Infrastructure, Andrew Wines.
“We are confident that the technology is out there to transform our network and look forward to progressing the delivery of the Smarter Suburban Corridors program.”
The procurement process for the Smarter Suburban Corridors has now begun, with the formal Expression of Interest set to be released in early 2025.
To learn more about Smarter Suburban Corridors and Council’s existing traffic management system, visit brisbane.qld.gov.au.
