City named innovative management practices winner for use of AI technology in transportation pilot

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton was recognized by the Municipal Road and Infrastructure Association at the 2021 John Niedra Better Practices Competition in the Innovative Management Practices category for using artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the Mobile GIS Asset Collection Pilot. The award was announced during the 2022 Good Roads Annual Conference in Toronto held earlier this month.

The pilot program aims to leverage AI based internet of things (IoT) technology to locate, identify and catalogue traffic signage data. Specifically, the pilot focuses on speed limit and hazard marker signs, and assists staff with automating sign inventory and location mapping while at the same time ensuring a privacy by design approach to data collection.

The pilot will demonstrate whether this technology is viable and if so, will be implemented on a larger scale. If proven successful, this would allow the City to identify traffic signage across Hamilton that may have been damaged or misplaced more efficiently, so crews can repair or replace speed signs along roadways.

The City is working with IRIS Research and Development Group, another Good Roads member, to improve sign inventory and location mapping as part of this pilot. The installation of IRISGo technology was added to six City road patrol vehicles to provide coverage of all municipal roadways as required to capture the findings collected.

Quick Facts

• The Mobile GIS Asset Collection Pilot launched November 2021 and is scheduled to run until the end of April 2022. Findings from the pilot are expected to be available June 2022.
• Using this smart technology for the pilot will help the City identify assets, asset deficiencies, and will support the City’s overall Vision Zero goal by ensuring infrastructure is inspected and maintained.
• The City of Hamilton received international recognition for its efforts to build an “Intelligent Community”. Actions over the next five years will focus on enhancing infrastructure and services.