Cookeville investing in a new AI camera system, designed to help improve traffic flow.
Cookeville Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the cameras can detect traffic and send recommendations to change the timing of traffic lights. Elrod said the cameras will be a major upgrade compared to the current system.
“Clear them out and get more efficiency and also pace,” Elrod said. “Because right now you can set maybe three iterations so you have like a morning traffic flow, and then a lunch traffic flow, and then an evening traffic flow and so these cameras will be able to adjust it just real-time flows.”
Elrod said the cameras will be installed at five intersections in the Willow Avenue corridor. Elrod said the city’s goal is to eventually have a full loop of traffic cameras installed at the busiest intersections.
“We would like to do Jefferson all down Jackson, and then down Willow, and then back up Interstate Drive, and then pick up all of our interstate intersections,” Elrod said. “So I think we had a count of about 14 total intersections in that whole loop so that’s our focus first.”
Elrod said there are only a few cities in the nation that have a similar camera system. Elrod said the city is excited to implement the new camera system.
“We even spoke to T-DOT about this, of course, T-DOT doesn’t have many red lights on interstates to manage so T-DOT didn’t really have any recommendations to give,” Elrod said. “So it’s kind of uncharted territory but the technology is out there and we are ready to get in on it.”
Elrod said the traffic division will monitor the camera system and work with the company to determine which plugins can be added to the system to find the most efficient traffic flow. Elrod said the city will waste no time and will install the cameras as soon as possible.
