Artificial intelligence will help keep Brisbane moving, with the Schrinner Council rolling out the first AI-assisted traffic operating system in Australia.
The AI-traffic system will use traffic cameras, edge computing and artificial intelligence to analyse traffic conditions at 37 intersections along Logan Road and Kelvin Grove Road pilot corridors from early 2027.
The system is able to optimise signal timing in real time to improve safety and travel times across an entire road corridor. It does this by determining traffic volumes and queue lengths and calculating the best traffic light sequence.
It will be the first Australian use of AI technology to coordinate different sets of traffic lights to improve travel time across multiple intersections.
It connects with Council’s existing traffic signal system (SCATS) and works at both State and Council-controlled intersections.
The system will protect the sensitive personal data of Brisbane residents by blurring faces, number plates and any other personally identifiable information.
To further protect privacy, all data gathered will be stored in Council-owned and managed data centres across four Brisbane locations and will not be sent offshore.
The technology being used has delivered significant improvements to traffic networks in other major cities worldwide.
Travel time and safety benefits include:
• Up to a 15% reduction in average travel time
• Up to a 22% reduction in intersection queue lengths
• Up to a 12% reduction in rear-end crashes
• Up to an 18% reduction in red-light violations
The six-month pilot will cover 15 intersections on the Kelvin Grove Road corridor and 22 intersections on the Logan Road corridor.
More than 62,000 vehicles use Kelvin Grove Road a day, with a further 30,000 using Logan Road daily.
The investment to trial AI traffic management technology was promised at the 2024 Council election.
AI Traffic Management is just one way the Schrinner Council is keeping Brisbane moving.
The Schrinner Council’s investments in road and public transport infrastructure meant Brisbane was the only major Australian city to reduce congestion in 2025.
According to the world-wide TomTom Traffic Index, the average congestion level in Brisbane decreased by a full percentage point in 2025 despite the city’s strong population growth.
The report also showed peak hour speeds improved by more than four per cent and the average Brisbane resident spent five hours less in traffic compared to 2024.
The pilot will be delivered by a consortium featuring Australian-owned company J1-LED, one of the world’s largest engineering consultancies WSP and Intelligent Traffic Control.
The consortia was selected following a highly competitive tendering process that saw 19 bids eventually whittled down to two, before a winner was selected.
If the pilot is successful, the technology will be rolled out across the wider road network.
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner:
“Time stuck in traffic is time people aren’t spending with their families, earning an income or doing the things they enjoy.
“Keeping Brisbane moving is good for our economy, good for jobs and good for our lifestyle because a more efficient city gives everyone more time back in their day.
“Brisbane is growing quickly and we can’t simply build our way out of congestion, particularly through established suburbs.
“We’re investing in smarter technology that can get more out of the roads we already have and help people get where they’re going sooner and safer.
“We’ve already bucked the trend by reducing congestion while Brisbane continues to grow and AI traffic management is about building on that progress.”
Quotes attributable to Chair for Infrastructure, Councillor Ryan Murphy:
“Every motorist caught in congestion dreams of a traffic signal system that is truly intelligent, but no Australian city has found a way to move beyond copper loops and cabinets.
“Brisbane will be the first city in Australia to usher in a new era of intelligent traffic management and we plan to do it on a grand scale.
“We are only just scratching the surface of what AI Traffic Management can do.
“We scoured the globe for leading technology that was effective, reliable and safe, and one that kept our citizens’ movement data private and secure.
“While this pilot will focus on two corridors, adding AI technology to our traffic network will allow us to run Brisbane’s 5000-kilometre road network and 1000 signalised intersections far more efficiently.
“We’re confident the rollout of AI traffic management will see measurable travel time, reliability and safety improvements across the Logan Road and Kelvin Grove Road corridors.
“This solution complies with all of Council’s IT security requirements. It also protects sensitive personal data by blurring faces and number plates and uses local Council owned and operated data centres.”
Quotes attributable to RACQ Executive Manager Public Policy, Dr Michael Kane:
“We support councils taking steps to improve traffic flow to help people spend less time on the roads caught in congestion.
“AI Traffic management technology is a great way to get more out of our existing infrastructure, while we plan and deliver larger, integrated projects that build capacity and connectivity on our transport network for decades to come.”
