Queensland council to pilot AI-controlled traffic lights at Moreton Bay intersection

Queensland University of Technology professor Ashish Bhaskar says AI can give traffic controllers a clearer picture of what’s happening at an intersection, allowing signals to be set dynamically rather than on a fixed cycle. The City of Moreton Bay will install a camera-based detection system at a selected intersection in Petrie, with the AI deciding the optimal light sequence. The $170,000 pilot, running until early 2029, follows similar deployments by SWARCO in Denmark and other European cities, and mirrors the SURTRAC system that cut travel time in Pittsburgh.

University of Sydney associate professor Mohsen Ramezani cautions that gains at a single junction may be modest, emphasizing the need for smarter algorithms across multiple closely spaced lights. A larger $15 million, two-year trial in Brisbane aims to integrate AI into the broader traffic-management network, according to Councillor Ryan Murphy.