Satisfied with the results after a first year of operation, Quebec City has decided to renew its partnership with Google in its quest to better manage the traffic flow on its territory.
Quebec is one of the 19 cities in the world, including the only in Canada, to have been part of the first phase of the Green Light project in the multinational. The two entities announced on Monday that the city would be back for phase two, whose schedule is not yet determined.
13 Google recommendations were made from data collected from Google Maps users in the capital between April 2024 and April 2025. At these intersections, employees of the City’s intelligent mobility management center managed to reduce the number of stops by 12% by adapting the operation of traffic lights.
“For example, at the intersection of Boulevard Charest and avenue Saint-Sacrement, you must empty the coast. At this place, the light was working on a 120 second cycle. At the next [Saint-Sacrement/Semple] We were 100 seconds. Google told us that it would be interesting to harmonize both. […] Since then, the proportion of users who do not have to slow down before Boulevard Hamel has been much greater than before, ”explains the Director of Transport and Intelligent Mobility Service, Marc des Rivières.
Photo Vincent Desbiens
The future goes through AI
The mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, was very enthusiastic about the results of this first attempt with Google and affirms that this is an important axis to explore to avoid congestion problems.
“There are several actions that have been taken, including that of today, which allows you to work on the whole work. […] It’s not just active mobility, bikes, pedestrians and buses. If we believe that, we will plant ourselves. “
He maintains that artificial intelligence “offers a huge opportunity to process millions of data, which a human cannot do at the same speed”.
Photo Vincent Desbiens
“Integrating artificial intelligence into our practices is something that is going to be accentuated. Take the question of the answers of 311. There are studies which are currently being carried out to determine how we can respond more quickly to the requests of citizens and offer a better answer, “argues the mayor, adding that the city is called upon to garnish its team of IA experts in the coming years.
“Ecoblachinating”
The Transition Québec, Jackie Smith’s chef, wonders about Google’s real motivations to offer her help to fluidify the arteries of Quebec.
“I find that Google’s intentions are questionable, when they talk about reducing GHGs by the use of artificial intelligence. [L’IA] It is still very engaging in greenhouse gas production, so what is the real calculation? It smells like the eco -lanching. ”
The public affairs manager at Google Canada, Laurence Therrien, assures that the only objective of the multinational is to offer an innovative solution for the environment.
“It is estimated to be capable of reducing stops by traffic lights and 10% by greenhouse gas emissions in partner cities by 10%,” she concludes.
