LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – AI technology is coming to downtown Las Vegas.
New camera and sensor systems will soon be installed at 17 intersections near Fremont Street, an area known for having a lot of foot traffic and close calls and crashes for people crossing the street.
“At Fremont Street and Casino Center, we can see up to a thousand pedestrian crossings an hour, which is way, way higher than the average,” said City of Las Vegas Public Works Director Joey Paskey. “But we also have a lot of impairments, both motorists and pedestrians, and opportunity for crashes to happen there.”
The city is using a $1.4 million grant from the Department of Transportation to fund the pilot program aimed at improving pedestrian safety.
The city is still working on the design for this technology, but the idea is that the cameras at the crosswalks will be able to sense when there’s a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Then, those sensors will communicate with the traffic signals, possibly extending the red light so pedestrians have time to get safely from one side of the street to the other.
“Whether they’re waiting to cross, or they’re maybe lingering a little bit in the crosswalk or just walking against a red light—so it will talk to the traffic signal, adjust the traffic signal timing in real time,” said Paskey.
The city estimates this camera and sensor technology will be installed and operating by early 2025, followed by an 18-month pilot period before possibly expanding the program.
When asked about locals and tourists who may be concerned about having more eyes on them downtown, Paskey said, “That was actually something we had to address in our grant agreement, is that it has the possibility for a negative connotation based on people fearing being watched. I can say that we’re definitely not going to record anything. The intent is not that. The intent of this project is absolutely to make it safer.”
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