A Google AI program pledging to mitigate traffic woes is soon to be piloted in Vancouver.

A notice in the IJF’s procurement database shows the City of Vancouver plans to enter into a “non-financial, zero-cost” agreement with Google to participate in its Green Light traffic optimization initiative.

Google says its Green Light project uses AI and Google Maps driving trends to analyze traffic flow and provide recommendations for city traffic engineers.

“The purpose of this initiative is to receive advisory signal timing optimization recommendations to improve traffic flow, reduce vehicle idling and decrease greenhouse gas emissions,” said Fiona Hughes, a spokesperson for the City of Vancouver.

The city is getting the pilot at zero cost.

Hughes confirmed Google will not “connect to or integrate with” city infrastructure and the city won’t share proprietary infrastructure data.

No specific intersections or roadways have been chosen for analysis, she said. The project analyzes aggregated and anonymized traffic trends and hones in on intersections where adjustments to signal timing may have the greatest potential benefit, she said.

Google’s website says its project is currently running in 20 cities around the world, including Quebec City. Its initial numbers show the program has the potential to reduce stop-and-go traffic by up to 30 per cent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10 per cent.

Vancouver’s pilot is scheduled to run from September through to the end of December 2027.

Hughes said the city will evaluate Google’s recommendations and make decisions on whether to move forward with the program after the pilot wraps up.

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