The Department of Transport is to roll out high-definition detectors at pedestrian crossings across Melbourne to make them safer, smarter and more reliable.
The Department said the new pedestrian crossing technology was part of VicRoads’ Smarter Roads Program and would be installed at 75 signalised crossings in the west, east and south-east of Melbourne.
It said the detectors would detect pedestrians and cyclists in real time; provide more time to cross for bigger groups; reduce unnecessary delays for drivers; and make right-turn signals safer.
“The pedestrian sensors are driven by high-definition cameras that not only eliminate the need to press the button, but will also measure how many people are waiting to cross or are already crossing,” the Department said.
“This new hardware is mounted on existing traffic lights and uses infra-red or high-definition video detectors facing the road pedestrians are crossing,” it said.
“These sensors will also provide us with new data on pedestrian traffic patterns that we haven’t had before, whilst also ensuring the highest level of privacy for the community.”
The Department said the software sensed how many pedestrians were waiting to cross and adapted the crossing time dependent on the size of the group to reduce wait times for pedestrians.
It said the technology would also ensure traffic wasn’t unnecessarily delayed and that longer crossing times weren’t triggered when small groups of people were waiting.
“Normally pedestrian crossings are pre-programmed at locations like schools for pick-up and drop-off times,” it said.
“Sometimes these programmed crossing times are in place during school holidays, causing drivers unnecessary delays.”
The Department said the technology was particularly useful near busy locations, like schools and train stations, where pedestrian numbers varied dramatically during peak hours.
