Atlanta one of three cities chosen to try new traffic fixes

Atlanta isn't often mentioned in the same sentence as Shanghai and São Paulo, but there's a first time for everything.

According to WABE, Atlanta and the two other cities have been chosen to participate in the Safer Roads Challenge. The program is an initiative aimed at finding fixes to dangerous road conditions.

In reality, it shouldn't be that surprising that Atlanta made the list of places in need of a major fix. The city’s roadways (think: Buford Highway for pedestrians) often show up on lists of some of the country’s most dangerous.

Plans call for safety measures to be implemented along North Avenue, which stretches across the city. It’s unclear exactly what parts of the street could be included.

Data-driven analytics from companies like IBM, UPS, AIG, and Facebook will be compiled into a central computer system, which will comb through information to improve safety, officials said. The program is even touted as being able to help predict accidents before they happen.

The news comes just a month after the same corridor was named as a potential study route for autonomous vehicles.

For North Avenue users, the initiatives could help make trips a little safer. And for those who feel like Big Brother’s watching, it's really a confirmation he always is.

• Atlanta Chosen For 'Safer Roads Challenge' [WABE]
• Together for Safer Roads [website]
• Atlanta’s North Avenue eyed as driverless-car corridor [Curbed Atlanta]