Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Traffic Safety Genai topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
California transportation officials say generative AI will speed identification of traffic bottlenecks and target vulnerable users
Summary
Transportation Secretary Toks Omi Shakin described two initial generative AI projects — traffic management and protecting vulnerable road users — and cited long project timelines and traffic fatality statistics to justify faster analytical tools.
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omi Shakin said the state will use generative AI to help identify traffic bottlenecks and propose solutions more quickly, and to address safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Shakin told an audience in Downtown Los Angeles that major Caltrans projects typically take 12 to 14 years from start to finish and that generative AI could shorten analytical timelines. “Sometimes what takes months to do, it could take 2 or 3 months to identify solutions sometimes. 2 to 3 months will turn into 2 to 3 days of work once we start to use the generative AI tools,” Shakin said.
Why it matters: Shakin framed the technology as a tool to speed up staff work that now takes months, allowing agencies to evaluate and propose mitigation steps faster. She identified two initial focus areas: traffic management statewide and “vulnerable users” — pedestrians and bicyclists — who account for a notable share of road fatalities.
Shakin cited traffic and safety figures to illustrate urgency. “Nearly 10 people a day die using the transportation system in our state. Nearly 30% of them are vulnerable users,” she said. She added California has more “super commuters” than any other state, with “more than 300,000 people” who commute 90 minutes in one direction.
The transportation secretary also referenced past efficiency mandates, including SB 1 and a cited annual $100,000,000 efficiency-savings requirement tied to prior work; Shakin said the department has exceeded that target in some years. She did not announce a regulatory change or a new funding appropriation for AI projects during the event.
What's next: Shakin said transportation staff will pilot generative AI tools to identify congestion points and propose interventions; no formal procurement outcome or vote was announced at the event. Officials said the work is part of wider state efforts to expand generative AI pilots under the governor’s executive direction.
