Rep. Garret Graves introduces bill to relieve traffic congestion through technology

U.S. Congressmen Garret Graves (R-LA) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) have introduced bipartisan legislation to bring traffic management and planning into modern times.

The Intelligent Transportation Integration Act will create a federal program to leverage existing data to actively manage traffic flow today and plan more efficient roadways for tomorrow, according to a release from Graves.

"We are using traffic light technology from the 1800s to manage traffic in 2023. Thankfully, our horses are now faster, and we've paved roads since then," Graves said. "Folks shouldn't be sitting and waiting for the stop light when they are the only car at the signal. Traffic needs to be managed as a network -- dynamically juggling freight and commuter demands so folks can get from Point A to Point B faster, safer, and more efficiently. Our bill will deploy smarter technologies to meet these demands and ensure that data is available to our transportation planners who can build a more efficient system for the future."

“The implementation of this bill will help save lives, manage congestion, reduce emissions, improve freight and supply chain efficiencies, integrate traffic management systems, provide better travel information, support emergency response and public safety, and promote a safe systems approach, all while increasing American competitiveness on the global stage,” Laura Chace, President and CEO of ITS America, said.