Pollution Levels: How Google is using AI to reduce traffic flow, pollution levels in these Indian cities

Back in 2021, Google announced Project Green Light with the aim of reducing pollution levels and improving traffic flows at traffic lights across various cities. Now, Google has announced new AI-powered features for more effective implementation of the project. “We’re excited to share that early numbers indicate a potential for up to 30% reduction in stops and up to 10% reduction in emissions at intersections,” said Yossi Matias, vice president, engineering and research, Google. According to Matias, Green Light is now live in 70 intersections in 12 cities from Haifa to Rio de Janeiro to Bangalore. “In the intersections where Green Light is already live, this can save fuel and lower emissions for up to 30M car rides monthly,” he said.

How does the project work?

The company uses AI and Google Maps driving trends to model traffic patterns and make recommendations for optimising the existing traffic light plans. According to Google, it takes less than five minutes for city engineers to implement it. “By optimising not just one intersection, but coordinating across several adjacent intersections to create waves of green lights, cities can improve traffic flow and further reduce stop-and-go emissions,” said Matias.
Matias says that Google has built an AI-based model of each intersection, including its structure, traffic patterns (such as patterns of starting and stopping), light scheduling, and how traffic and the light schedules interact. On the basis of the model, Google develops AI-based optimisations and and then provide recommendations to city engineers. He also gave an example of how it works. “We might identify an opportunity to coordinate between intersections that are not yet synced and provide a recommendation around the timing of the traffic lights so that traffic flows more effectively along a stretch of road.”
In India, the Project Green Light has been implemented in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.