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Barcelona seeks AI solutions to improve traffic lights and traffic flow
Barcelona wants to change the way the city moves. The City Council has launched an innovation challenge to apply artificial intelligence to traffic light management and improve real-time traffic conditions.
The initiative, promoted through Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility together with Fira de Barcelona, has opened a call aimed at companies, universities and experts. The goal is to develop systems capable of adapting traffic lights to real traffic conditions, taking account of cars, bicycles, public transport and pedestrians.
The project is based on a study carried out with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC), which has analysed how artificial intelligence can optimise the management of junctions in a complex city such as Barcelona. At present, most of the more than 40,000 traffic lights operate on fixed timings, limiting their ability to respond to changes in mobility.
Proposals may be submitted until May, and the selected projects will be announced in autumn. Each initiative may receive up to 100,000 euros and will be tested in real environments from the end of 2026, with pilots including sensors and real-time data analysis.
For residents, these kinds of solutions may mean fewer traffic jams, faster journeys and better coexistence between different modes of transport. They also open the door to a more efficient city, where technology adapts to the daily rhythm rather than the other way round. In the coming months, the focus will be on selecting the most viable proposals and preparing the first trials. If the results are positive, Barcelona could move towards a model of smart traffic lights that tangibly changes urban mobility in the years ahead.