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Calgary Herald

Calgary mayor touts artificial intelligence to improve road safety

Calgary city council will discuss using artificial intelligence to decide where to install road safety measures, including stop controls, crosswalks and curb extensions, by supplying the technology with driver patterns, citizen feedback and information about collisions between vehicles and pedestrians. Article content Article content The update came in an announcement by Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who proposed an amendment to the city's safer mobility plan, slated to be discussed at council on Tuesday. Article content Article content The news conference was held at the intersection of Rundlehorn Drive N.E. and 26 Avenue, where a 17-year-old girl died after being struck and pinned by a vehicle in January. At the time, the city was criticized for letting safety concerns in the area go unaddressed. Article content Article content From infrequent photo radar checks — which have now been phased out by the province on provincial highways and certain roads — to a lack of action on requests to install speed bumps, residents cited several complaints with the city's approach to road safety. Article content Gondek said such complaints will get an ear from the city and along with using artificial intelligence to predict such collisions, will be seriously considered while the city decides where to direct its efforts to make roads safer. Article content Article content Article content 'Calgary's warrant system is reactive and we can do better,' Gondek said, making reference to the tools used by the city to determine where traffic control devices are installed. Article content 'By upgrading this system with tools like predictive modelling supported by AI, and real-time community input, we can shift from reactive to preventative. … Calgarians deserve a city that uses the best available data to protect lives — and the political will to act on it.' Article content According to the City's Safer Mobility Plan report, 29 people were killed in traffic collisions in 2024, including 13 pedestrians — the highest number of fatalities in over a decade. Article content 'These are not just numbers — these are lives cut short, families shattered, and communities grieving,' said Gondek. 'Calgary must do more to make our streets safer for pedestrians. We must act, and we must act now.'