Chattanooga has appointed Ouster to deploy its BlueCity traffic management system in the Tennessee city. The $2 million contract is for the largest lidar-enabled smart traffic solution in the United States.

The city has already carried out a pilot at twelve intersections. This will now be expanded to over 120 intersections, covering the downtown area.

The project will combine digital lidar sensors and edge AI at each intersection to manage traffic flow, detect and analyse safety incidents and provide detection for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications.

Chattanooga is working with Southern Lighting & Traffic Systems and the Center for Urban Informatics & Progress (CUIP), part of the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Research Institute (UTCRI), to expand the city’s lidar connected traffic infrastructure by the end of 2025.

“Chattanooga is leading the country in adopting smart city technology to improve our roadways, and with it, the safety and quality of life of our citizens,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Using American lidar and advanced perception software from Ouster, we are building the largest lidar-powered smart traffic network in the United States. This technology will enable optimised traffic signal management on roads and intersections to improve traffic flow and provide data we can use to improve pedestrian safety.”

Ouster BlueCity combines digital lidar with perception software and data analytics, enabling the creation of a real-time 3D digital traffic twin of an intersection or road. The solution automates data collection in the cloud to monitor road events more accurately for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.

“We are excited to be part of this innovative expansion that will drive meaningful traffic and safety optimisations in our city, all while ensuring privacy of residents,” said Mina Sartipi, Founding Director of the Center for Urban Informatics and Professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. “Ouster BlueCity already led us to install a crosswalk that resulted in a 100% reduction in near-miss incidents on a high-risk city block. We are just starting to capture the full benefits of this technology.”