LiDAR at Intersections Improves Safety for Vulnerable Users

Item #: 20260066

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Traffic Management Division
Implementation Lead: Mark Taylor
Development Team:
- Mark Taylor
- Blaine Leonard
- Aimee Loudenslager
- Michael Blanchette
- Phillip Castro
- Connor Kirby
Article Written By: Winston Inoway
Innovation Council Liaison: Glenn Burns
Innovation Team Coordinator: Winston Inoway

STATUS

Implementation Date: January 01, 2026
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: What other ways LiDAR might be used?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Data Collection, Analysis and Visualization
Organization(s): Traffic Management Division
Job Role(s): Information Specialist, Program Manager, Program Specialist
Tags: Active transportation, public transit, personnel development, crashes, injuries, economic benefits, expenses, expenditures, urban development, value of life, value of time, inventions, information technology >> software, networks, LiDAR, data science, maintenance, planning, program management, project management, pedestrian safety, transit safety, vehicle safety, vulnerable road users, quality of life, value capture

PROBLEM

UDOT has used radar and cameras to help keep people safe at intersections. But some issues such as darkness and tracking precise objects have exposed the limits of these technologies. Because cameras see 2D images, they sometimes struggle with reading distances. Radar can have trouble discerning a small car from a group of pedestrians.

CHANGE

Over the past few years, UDOT’s Traffic Management Division has tested Light Detecting and Ranging - LiDAR as an improved way to make our roads safer. Using millions of laser pulses per second, the light hits an object and bounces back at the sensor. By measuring how long it takes for the light to return, the system creates a precise 3D map of the intersection in real time. This results in a more accurate and detailed “picture” of the intersection to help vulnerable uses such as pedestrians and cyclist to be “seen.”

RESULT

Some ways LiDAR technology is helping vulnerable users includes: Detecting a pedestrian in a crosswalk and extending the crossing time to allow a person more time to cross; and Smarter Flashing Yellow Arrows where the system can delay or turn off the flashing yellow arrow until a pedestrian is out of the danger zone. Integration with connected vehicles to help warn drivers of pedestrians in the crosswalk or pedestrians in the street.

UDOT recently installed LiDAR at 150 intersections and plans to install LiDAR at 160 more intersections this fiscal year. The department will continue to explore how this technology helps keep people safe.