Fredericton Innovators work to reduce idling, greenhouse gas emissions
A made-in-Fredericton idea may soon help frustrated drivers, and the planet, at the same time.
The City of Fredericton is working to be an early adopter of new technologies and cutting edge applications by giving entrepreneurs and post-secondary students a chance to solve municipal challenges.
The five day camp is hosted by the City’s Boost Fredericton Civic Innovation Lab. The event challenges competitors with a new problem every year.
“We centered this year’s event on reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions using data and technology,” said Laurie Guthrie, City of Fredericton civic innovation strategist.
One group came up with what they call the 'SmartLights Traffic Solution.' The idea is to reduce idling time and greenhouse gas emissions in the community by optimizing the traffic light system.
“What if we could reduce the time that you're sitting at traffic lights,” said Josh Saunders, a member of the group ‘Spaghetti Coders’ who had the winning idea.
“Have you ever come up to a light and the intersection was empty but you're still sitting there idling and greenhouse gases are being produced,” added Saunders.
The ‘SmartLights’ idea provides a more affordable solution, than existing suppliers, using cameras, software, and real-time data to optimize the traffic light system. Its focus is to reduce idling time and greenhouse gas emissions at key intersections without having to influence a behaviour shift from the vehicle travelling public.
“It's a specialized camera that you would put at an intersection. It would take in data, it would see the cars coming in on either side,” said Saunders.
“Then based on data that's input, it would make a decision on whether to switch a light,” he added.
In the past, the city’s programs have had huge success stories such as the Hotspot app many use to pay for metered parking around parts of Canada and the United States.
“Hotspot is the city’s poster child. They were hatched out of the 2013 start up weekend that happened many years ago” said Guthrie.
The ideas from this year's camp still need to find commercial investors, but the makers of 'SmartLights' are hopeful their plans will find green-lights in big cities across Canada, and the world.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
A teen was found buried in a basement in New York. An engraved ring helped police learn her identity two decades later
For more than two decades, the unknown victim was nicknamed "Midtown Jane Doe" because she was found in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood of New York City. But this week, investigators finally revealed her identity.