One of the most significant challenges in any major city is traffic - and Bangkok is no exception. Road transportation is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. To mitigate this issue, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has entered into a partnership with Google’s Project Green Light to use AI-powered technology to improve traffic signal timing and reduce congestion at some of the city’s busiest intersections.
The initiative leverages AI and driving trends from Google Maps to analyze traffic patterns and generate recommendations to optimize signal timing. By reducing unnecessary stops and minimizing stop-and-go movement, the program aims to smooth traffic flow and reduce vehicle emissions, offering a more innovative and greener way to manage city streets.
Since the program’s launch in February 2025, the BMA has implemented Project Green Light’s AI-powered recommendations at key intersections in Bangkok. Bangkok is one of 18 cities globally selected to participate in this pilot project, marking a significant step toward more intelligent, more efficient urban traffic management.
For the past three months, Project Green Light has analyzed traffic at hundreds of signalized intersections across Bangkok using AI and Google Maps driving trends. The system offers recommendations to optimize traffic signal timing and flow. BMA traffic engineers then evaluate each suggestion for safety, practicality, and effectiveness before implementation. Once implemented, Project Green Light measures the impact on traffic patterns and provides this analysis to BMA to continue monitoring for any future needed changes.
Through Project Green Light, we are using AI to help improve the lives of people in cities around the globe by improving traffic flow and reducing emissions. Globally, early numbers indicate a potential for up to 30% reduction in stops and a 10% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.* We’ve had more than 55 million car rides per month using our system.
Project Green Light lives in 18 cities across 4 continents, from Haifa, Israel, Bangalore, India, Hamburg, Germany, and now Bangkok, Thailand. In these intersections, we can save fuel and lower emissions for up to 30 million car rides monthly. Project Green Light reflects Google's commitment to use AI to address climate change and improve millions of lives in cities worldwide.
*Carbon saving assumptions are based on: 1) Early data points that are averaged from coordinated intersections. We expect these numbers to evolve over time and look forward to sharing continued results as we expand. 2) Modeled using an emissions model from the Department of Energy, with a single vehicle type as an approximation for all traffic (not yet adjusted for local vehicle mix).
