The city of Fremont in California is deploying intersection analytics as part of the Fremont Boulevard Safe & Smart Corridor project on a 14.5km section of Fremont Boulevard.

The technology comes from Detroit company Derq and intelligent transportation firm CT Group. The multi-year project is touted as one of the most advanced and connected corridors in the USA.

“From the beginning, our Fremont Boulevard Safe & 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 Fremont mayor Lily Mei. “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 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.”

Derq’s primary responsibility involves enabling intersection analytics systems at 37 intersections along Fremont Boulevard to provide analysis from traffic intersection video sources of multimodal conflicts using artificial intelligence (AI). Derq’s proprietary software will be used to detect near-miss interactions 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, as well as provide continuous classified counts and turning movement reports.

“We have worked extensively with various city and state governments to advance some of the largest and popularly-travelled corridors in the USA,” said Karl Jeanbart, chief operating officer of Derq. “We’re excited to bring our knowledge and experience to the Fremont Boulevard Safe & Smart Corridor project so they remain one of the most advanced and safe roadways in the country.”

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. This creates a comprehensive understanding of road user behaviour that helps identify and predict potential conflicts or collisions and in-turn dangerous intersections.

The data generated provide accurate and granular feedback to develop safety countermeasures and manage traffic. Derq’s approach aims at converting 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 reports.

“CT Group is excited to partner with Derq and the city of Fremont for this project,’” said Joe Hoferer, vice president of CT Group, “The Derq safety analytics platform is revolutionising how we study and understand safety and risks for vulnerable road users. Derq’s proprietary AI software provides real-time insights into what is happening at the intersection level. With this project, the city is embarking on one of the most advanced Vision-Zero-focused traffic projects in history.”

Derq has worked with agencies such as Caltrans, RTC of southern Nevada, the city of Dublin in Ohio, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDoT), where it is deploying one of the largest US intelligent corridors in Detroit with 65 intersections.

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, it provides cities and fleets with an AI platform that powers analytics and connected and autonomous vehicle applications to help them improve road safety and better manage traffic.

Located on the south-east side of San Francisco Bay, Fremont is a city of over 230,000 people, making it the fourth most populous city in the Bay Area and California’s 15th largest city.