Beaumont council directs design work to bring AI-powered traffic signals to Highland Springs and other corridors

The Beaumont City Council on Aug. 19 directed staff to proceed with preliminary engineering and the phased implementation of a smart-technology traffic-signal program after hearing a feasibility study from consultant STC Traffic.

The council’s action, taken after a roughly two-hour presentation and discussion, authorizes staff to advance design documentation, permit coordination and procurement for corridor-based installations that use edge-based video detection and adaptive signal control to reduce delay and improve safety. Council members said they want to proceed quickly on the highest-priority corridor, Highland Springs Avenue, while preserving opportunities to coordinate with Caltrans and adjacent jurisdictions.

The study presented by Jason Stack, owner of STC Traffic, identified Highland Springs as the first priority and recommended a corridor-based deployment that would later extend to signal groups along Beaumont Avenue and Oak Valley Parkway. “This is a game changer for the traffic system here in the city of Beaumont,” Stack told the council, summarizing the study’s findings and expected benefits.

The consultant explained that the recommended system replaces dated local controllers and loop detection…