Fremont to deploy intersection analytics for smart corridor project

Derq will enable intersection analytics systems at 37 intersections along Fremont Boulevard to provide ongoing analysis from traffic intersection video sources of multimodal conflicts using AI.

Software will be utilised to detect near-misses at intersections and crosswalks

The City of Fremont, California, plans to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technology at 37 intersections along Fremont Boulevard to help improve traffic flow and create safer roadways.

Fremont has teamed with Detroit-based technology company Derq, and its partner traffic signal specialist CT Group, to deploy intersection analytics systems as a key component of a safe and smart corridor project along a nine-mile section of the boulevard.

Intersection analytics

Derq’s primary responsibility involves enabling intersection analytics systems at 37 intersections along Fremont Boulevard to provide ongoing analysis from traffic intersection video sources of multimodal conflicts using AI.

Proprietary software will be utilised to detect near-misses at intersections and crosswalks and identify safety hot spots based on dangerous roadway behaviour including red-light running, speeding, wrong-way driving and pedestrians crossing against a red light. In addition, it will provide continuous classified counts and turning movement reports.

“From the beginning, our Fremont Boulevard safe and smart corridor project has served as a national test bed for innovation in traffic safety technologies and is a significant investment in the City’s Mobility Action Plan,” said Lily Mei, mayor of Fremont.

“This project will not only modernise our traffic systems to make them more safe but will also provide a more efficient driving experience for our community members by improving traffic flow.”

She continued: “Derq’s intersection analytics systems will help take this project to the next level as we continue our work to make Vision Zero (eliminating all traffic fatalities) a reality in Fremont. The data will supplement our existing efforts and give us the tools to take an increasingly proactive safety approach.”

“This project will not only modernise our traffic systems to make them more safe but will also provide a more efficient driving experience for our community members by improving traffic flow”

Derq’s patented software platform integrates with pre-existing or easily installed sensors and other intelligent transportation system (ITS) equipment at each intersection to monitor the trajectories and predict the intents for all vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians in the sensors’ field of view.

According to the company, this creates a comprehensive understanding of road user behaviour that helps identify and predict potential conflicts or collisions and in-turn dangerous intersections.

Derq claims its approach converts large amounts of sensor data into rich dashboard-based predictive insights that are not otherwise available through traditional safety and traffic analyses. These insights allow road operators and planners to act proactively with short turnarounds rather than reactively rely on punctual, often data-poor, and outdated crash and traffic report, it reports.

Located on the southeast side of the San Francisco Bay, Fremont is a city of 230,000 people with an area of 90-square miles, making it the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area and California’s 15th largest city. Fremont is located within Alameda County.

Future of roads

Derq is an MIT-spinoff powering the future of roads for safer and more efficient movement of road users and autonomous vehicles. Through its proprietary and patented technology, Derq provides cities and fleets with an artificial intelligence platform that powers advanced analytics and connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) applications to help them improve road safety and better manage traffic.

The company has worked with transit agencies, including Caltrans, RTC of Southern Nevada, the City of Dublin, Ohio, and the Michigan Department of Transportation, where it is deploying one of the largest US intelligent corridors in Detroit with 65 intersections.

The 40-year-old CT Group is active in the connected vehicle and smart intersection market and represents several products in that arena.