In an effort to improve safety and better predict the flow of traffic, the network of cameras and sensors on the Canadian side of the Ambassador Bridge is getting an upgrade.
Researchers from the University of Windsor's Cross Border Institute hope to install equipment along Huron Church Road this fall. The team received two grants, one from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation worth $150,000 and another from the Ontario Research Fund for $206,000.
"We're trying to understand how traffic moves through this major node," said Doctor Hannah Moah.
Eventually, she hopes border traffic predictions become as commonplace as weather forecasting. To do that, the researchers need real-time data.
While the sensors in place now measure the number and size of vehicles, the new ones will also collect data on lane changes, vehicle speed, and the interaction between large trucks and smaller passenger vehicles.
It's information that won't just help cross-border commuters. It could also improve air quality for residents, improve supply chain operation between Canada and the U.S., and increase competitiveness for manufacturers and in the transportation industry. Street lights could be better timed and speed limits adjusted.
It may also have a commercial application. One day, trucks could have equipment that tells the driver how long the wait time is at the border and identify bottlenecks. A truck driver may leave the dock in Toronto and know what the traffic will be like when he arrives at the Ambassador Bridge.
When the Gordie Howe International Bridge opens, the project could be expanded to include it too.