RC120 SeptOct 2025 - Magazine - Page 24
TRANSPORTATION
SEPARATING THE
HYPE FROM REALITY
RTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is changing the municipal
transportation landscape at a pace that few can
keep up with. But the risks and costs of new tools
and technologies can be an impediment even to
digitally savvy communities keen to invest in
more e昀케cient systems.
AI has the potential to improve road safety, predict tra昀케c
昀氀ows following a natural disaster, detect invisible defects on
assets, generate the design for a new bridge, and empower
citizens to 昀椀nd the information they need, all in a userfriendly way. Each can be valuable to a municipality, but not
all come with the same level of investment or results.
Developments in AI have been coming forward at a
furious pace over the past few years, following the release
of ground-breaking large language models in 2022. But
separating hype from reality and taking a bene昀椀ts-昀椀rst
rather than tech-昀椀rst approach, are signi昀椀cant challenges.
We wanted to step back and review available
technologies, how they function and, perhaps most
importantly, what real bene昀椀ts they can provide for
municipal transportation. Here are 昀椀ve practical steps for
starting your AI journey.
A
1. Identify your pain points
Start with your organization’s pain points, without
restricting your thinking to AI applications. Where do
you see the biggest frustrations, costs, and risks? These
might include concerns around safety incidents, gaps in
accessibility and inclusion, ine昀케ciencies in routing or
scheduling, or rising fuel and maintenance costs. It’s a
good idea to consider the people involved, and how each is
a昀昀ected, internally and externally.
Establish your objectives in managing these pain points,
consider what you’re already doing to address them, and
think about how close they’re taking you to meeting your
goals. It might make more sense to scale, or completely
replace, existing e昀昀orts.
AI may not be part of the solution to your biggest
problems. That’s something you’ll work out through
exploration.
2. Do an industry scan
Once you’ve identi昀椀ed your pain points, investigate what
solutions organizations like yours are already doing in
24—RENEW CANADA –SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025
this space and the bene昀椀ts they’re seeing through AI
applications or other approaches. Look for these cases
in industry forums like your provincial municipal
association or the Municipal Information Systems
Association.
You will likely want to focus on solutions that
have proven positive impact for at least one of your
organization’s biggest pain points. Quantitative evidence,
compelling stories, and testimonials will help you decide
if the risk and investment are worth it, and help make the
case to decision makers and community members. Having
colleagues in other municipalities who have already done
it will provide you with a greater understanding of the
ups and downs of the process.
The most prevalent uses of AI in the municipal
transportation industry include tra昀케c management and
optimization. AI-powered systems can analyze real-time
data from tra昀케c cameras, sensors, and GPS to optimize
tra昀케c 昀氀ow, adjust signal timings, and reduce congestion.
These systems help cities manage urban mobility more
e昀케ciently, minimize delays, and improve fuel e昀케ciency.
There are several additional uses that can provide
signi昀椀cant value to a municipality. These include:
DATA FROM AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES & DRIVER ASSISTANCE Improves
road safety by supporting real-time decision-making and
enhancing road safety.
PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE Maintains the longevity of transit
systems through predictive technology that detects
potential issues in vehicles, roads, and infrastructure
before failures occur, reducing repair costs and
minimizing service downtime.
PUBLIC TRANSIT OPTIMIZATION Makes public transit more
consistent by optimizing bus and train schedules through
real-time sensors, reducing wait times and improving
overall reliability.
LOGISTICS & ROUTE OPTIMIZATION Reduces route times in freight
and delivery services through forecasting technology,
decreasing delays and fuel consumption.
SMART PARKING SOLUTIONS Minimizes driver congestion by
identifying available parking spaces though real-time
sensors, guiding drivers to reduce search time.
Based on the di昀昀erent tools available, a municipality
can determine which one(s) best address the corporate
priorities.
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GETTY IMAGES
AI developments in municipal transportation
