Engineers in Arlington are using an AI-powered system to monitor roads and improve traffic safety.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Inside Arlington’s Traffic Management Center, engineers have a new tool helping them keep an eye on the roads 24/7 — an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic.
“They pretty much give us signal analytics and safety data and classification data of vehicles and pedestrians,” said city traffic engineer Chris Funches.
Funches said the system provides a live feed of intersections and displays real-time traffic patterns. NoTraffic collects key data, including vehicle wait times, pedestrian crossings and even when people are more likely to run red lights.
“It shows 116 people ran red lights at this intersection yesterday, compared to last week,” Funches noted while reviewing data at his computer.
Arlington first tested NoTraffic in 2023 at the light on Cooper Street and Main Street. At the intersection, the system’s hardware is easy to spot. The tool doesn’t take much leg work to implement and can be added to existing infrastructure.
“The NoTraffic module sits on top of our controller,” he explained.
After testing it out, the city was impressed with the platform’s capabilities and quickly expanded its use to 10 additional intersections south of I-20 along Matlock Road. They are now working to expand it even more.
“We are looking to expand to about a little bit over 40 lights within the entertainment district,” Funches said.
At full capacity, NoTraffic can analyze real-time traffic flow and adjust signals accordingly.
“Based on the speed that it’s moving, the light can calculate whether it needs additional green time to clear the intersection,” he added.
The goal? To reduce congestion, keep pedestrians moving safely and even prevent crashes before they happen.
“It gives the intersections intelligence to understand what’s actually happening,” explained Tom Cooper, a NoTraffic vice president. “Do I have pedestrians? Do I have vehicles? Where are they trying to go, and how do I mitigate things like congestion and safety?”
As Arlington prepares for the influx of visitors during the World Cup, the city is eager to see how the technology performs under increased traffic demand. And according to Cooper, other North Texas cities might not be far behind in adopting the system.
“Stay tuned because you’re gonna see some announcements,” Cooper said.
