Brisbane to pilot AI-controlled traffic lights on major inner-city corridors

Brisbane City Council is launching a six-month AI traffic-management trial on Logan Road and Kelvin Grove Road, two key inner-city routes. The system will be installed atop current signal boxes and will dynamically alter light sequences based on real-time conditions, historical patterns, weather and special events such as games at Suncorp Stadium or the Gabba. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner called the project the most significant traffic-management advance in decades, while infrastructure chair Ryan Murphy highlighted that about 20 staff at the Brisbane Metropolitan Traffic Management Centre will still oversee operations.

The $15 million pilot, covering 37 intersections, is expected to boost traffic flow by around 15 % and reduce queuing by 22 % compared with existing controls. Privacy safeguards will blur faces and plates, keep data on council-owned servers, and allow law-enforcement access only on request. If successful, officials hope to expand the technology to other major corridors such as Old Cleveland Road, Ipswich Road and Gympie Road.