Exploring how GenAI could reduce traffic, keep drivers safe
Contacts:
Amy Palmer 916-639-5054 amy.palmer@govops.ca.gov
Roy Kennedy 916-879-2546 roy.kennedy@govops.ca.gov
GovOps announced two Requests for Innovative Ideas seeking to use GenAI to optimize traffic flow and enhance traffic safety, particularly for vulnerable roadway users
SACRAMENTO – GovOps marked its latest milestone implementing Governor Newsom’s Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Executive Order issued in September, releasing two Requests for Innovative Ideas (RFI2) seeking pilots to optimize traffic flow and enhance traffic safety, particularly for vulnerable roadway users (VRUs):
Vulnerable Road User Protection. Investigate near misses of injuries/fatalities to identify risky areas and monitor interventions designed to increase safety of vulnerable road users. For more information, here’s the Caltrans vulernable roas user protection problem statement.
Traffic Management. Process and interpret complex data to improve traffic pattern analysis, address bottlenecks, and enhance overall traffic management. For more information, here’s the Caltrans traffic management problem statement.
Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-12-23 directing departments to examine the most significant, potentially beneficial use cases for deployment of GenAI tools by the state. The administration released its first report in November outlining the potential benefits and risks of GenAI use in state government.
“California is where GenAI lives, so we see up close how fast the technology is moving. Operationally, the state is taking steps to carefully position itself to keep pace while meeting the needs of all Californians,” said Amy Tong, Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency.
This next phase of the Executive Order positions the state to partner and collaborate with GenAI companies to create proof of concepts for Caltrans, California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) and California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). These agencies and departments have worked closely and collaborated over the course of several months leading to each creating problem statements which will be solicited for innovative ideas.
Two problem statements from Caltrans were released on Thursday to see if GenAI can help alleviate traffic congestion and enhance traffic safety.
“Each day, 12 people die on our roadways,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin. “We have a vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050, so we want to explore if GenAI can assist in achieving that goal. The tools are here right now, so it is the time to act and learn how this technology can potentially help save lives.”
A Bidders Conference for the Caltrans solicitation will take place on Thursday, January 11 as part of the solicitation process. This conference will allow interested companies to ask questions and learn more about the Caltrans problem statements. GenAI solicitations for CalHHS and CDTFA are expected to be released later this month.