GridMatrix, Port Authority launch AI traffic initiative for Hudson crossings

Matthew Fazelpoor//January 31, 2023

The Lincoln Tunnel is the world’s busiest tunnel, carrying over 40 million vehicles annually. – PR NEWSWIRE

GridMatrix and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced a partnership Jan. 31 to launch the San Francisco company’s cloud-based software platform to study traffic analytics on the Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge.

The year-long pilot applies cloud-computing and artificial intelligence to improve operations on these Hudson River crossings, which are used by more than 180 million vehicles annually traveling between New Jersey and New York City.

GridMatrix says its software combines feeds from existing sensors and cameras, analyzing them with cloud-based machine learning algorithms to provide real-time analytics of traffic conditions, such as traffic congestion, emissions and safety hazards. The company stresses that it is solely using live public feeds from existing Port Authority cameras for this initiative.

The data and insights gleaned from the analysis will be used by Port Authority personnel toward that goal of improving operations on the crossings.

‘Expanding the definition of infrastructure’

GridMatrix was selected by the Port Authority from a global pool of more than 150 mobility startups for a solution proof-of concept, and was deployed last summer on the George Washington Bridge as part of the Partnership for New York City’s Transit Tech Lab Sustainability Challenge. This month, that technology was deployed at the Holland and Lincoln Tunnels.

GridMatrix’s AI traffic analytics platform deployed at the Lincoln and Holland tunnels. – PR NEWSWIRE

“It’s a privilege to partner with the Port Authority and support its sustainability, safety, and broader operational goals,” said GridMatrix CEO Nick D’Andre. “Innovative transit agencies like the Port Authority are expanding the definition of infrastructure from purely build and physical to include a digital, informational overlay powering safety and efficiency improvements.”

“The Port Authority is proud to provide opportunities for the exploration of new technology that can help people move seamlessly and safely through our facilities to keep the New York-New Jersey region moving,” said Rob Galvin, the Port Authority’s chief technology officer. “For more than 100 years, the agency has been at the forefront of technology to build infrastructure and physically make connections between people and goods, and this collaboration with GridMatrix reflects our goals to operate at the highest standards possible.”

Following those deployments of the technology, the Port Authority identified GridMatrix’s platform as a scalable system for data collection, network effect measurement, policy analysis and interagency reporting. GridMatrix says it will further adapt its platform to the Port Authority’s needs throughout this year, which will include the development of new predictive algorithms for operational improvements.

“GridMatrix has demonstrated how its technology is uniquely position to provide critical insights to adapt to a changing mobility landscape,” said Stacey Matlen, vice president of innovation at the Partnership for New York City. “Agencies should be empowered to use new technologies to reduce staff time to collect data and improve data quality to ensure our roads are as safe, clean and efficient as possible.”