Israel Deploys AI-Powered Smart Traffic Lights to Cut Commute Times by Weeks Annually

Israel's National Roads Company has installed approximately 170 adaptive traffic lights based on artificial intelligence along intercity roads, reporting an average saving of about 25 seconds per vehicle and roughly 400 vehicle-hours saved daily at key intersections like Moshe Cohen Junction. The system uses cameras and AI-driven computer vision to monitor traffic demand and queue lengths in real time, adjusting green light durations dynamically to optimize flow, unlike traditional fixed-timing traffic lights.

The project, developed in collaboration with ITC and various operational divisions within the National Roads Company, has transitioned from a pilot phase to full operational deployment across multiple junctions. Data shows significant time savings, such as 800 vehicle-hours saved daily at Fordis Junction and up to 56 seconds per vehicle at the entrance to Kiryat Tivon. These seconds accumulate substantially given the tens of thousands of vehicles passing daily, potentially saving Israeli drivers an average of ten minutes per trip, equating to about two workweeks annually.

Despite these improvements, AI traffic lights cannot fully resolve heavy congestion on major intercity routes like Highways 1, 4, and 471 due to physical capacity limits. Long-term solutions include expanding lanes and developing extensive public transportation networks including buses, light and heavy rail, and metro systems. The next phase aims to integrate multiple adaptive traffic lights into coordinated corridors, enabling them to communicate and manage traffic as a network rather than isolated points, further enhancing traffic flow efficiency.

The National Roads Company emphasizes careful, monitored implementation of each new adaptive traffic light to ensure positive traffic impact and continuous system improvement. The technology is currently limited to intercity roads, with urban deployment planned only after establishing metropolitan transport authorities across multiple local jurisdictions. The estimated annual economic benefit of deploying 100 such junctions exceeds half a billion shekels, considering time savings alone and excluding additional benefits like reduced fuel consumption, wear, pollution, and improved safety.