Knoxville city leaders and GRIDSMART Technologies Inc. unveiled new "STREETSMART" traffic technology in West Knoxville on Tuesday.
The city and the company finalized the installation of the first infrastructure for "connected roads" along Kingston Pike. They held a ribbon cutting at the intersection of Kingston Pike and Northshore Drive to mark the installation.
The new technology allows the city to study traffic congestion from West Town Mall to Bearden Hill.
City leaders say it will make drivers' commutes easier by allowing the city to adjust traffic lights based on how many cars are driving in that area.
"What this technology allows us to do is monitor traffic flow and traffic patterns on a minute-by-minute basis and then as we record that information we're able to analyze those patterns and better adjust the signal system to predict new patterns in the future," said Jeff Branham, the city's chief traffic engineer.
The technology also allows companies to research how driverless cars might work in Knoxville, which is part of Mayor Madeline Rogero's plan to make Knoxville a regional test bed for those vehicles.