Bucharest installs first smart pedestrian crossing

Bucharest City Hall announced on Wednesday, September 9, that it installed the capital’s first smart pedestrian crossing on Șoseaua Chitilei. The pilot project uses motion detection, dynamic lighting, sound signals, and tactile markings to improve pedestrian safety.

Unlike conventional systems with continuously flashing lights, the new crossing activates its warning signals only when needed, the authorities said.

“Drivers become accustomed to lights that flash continuously and stop noticing them,” the City Hall explained.

The system uses three layers of detection, with smart sensors analyzing the movements of people near the crossing. It activates the warning signals only when it identifies a genuine intention to cross, avoiding unnecessary alerts when someone is merely walking past, according to the same source.

Flash lamps and intelligent LED lighting embedded in the road switch on when a pedestrian is present.

“The lights come on only when the pedestrian is there, immediately drawing drivers’ attention to the fact that someone is crossing at that moment,” the municipality said.

The crossing also includes an acoustic system and tactile markings to assist visually impaired pedestrians.

The City Hall will use the pilot project to assess how the technology performs in Bucharest traffic and how drivers respond to it.