Technology Notebook: Improving Roadway Safety and Compliance

From city streets to high-speed highways, public agencies and private operators are turning to intelligent technologies to manage traffic safety, ensure compliance and deliver real-time roadway alerts. 

This edition of Roads & Bridge’s Technology Notebook highlights four innovations reshaping how communities respond to risk and improve mobility: Urban SDK’s updated traffic safety platform, Bentley’s new open application programming interface (API) for roadway intelligence, J.J. Keller’s FleetMentor upgrades and Texas’ SH 130 digital hazard alerts.

Urban SDK AI-Powered Traffic Platform

Urban SDK has launched a major upgrade to its AI-powered traffic platform, giving local governments a faster, more accurate way to respond to speeding and safety complaints. The system delivers real-time geospatial insights that help officials quickly pinpoint problem areas and deploy resources accordingly.

With the new release, users can access roadway speed data in under 30 seconds. Other new features include:

• Automated alerts and workflows that flag speeding in school zones or residential areas.
• GIS integration for layering traffic data with city-specific datasets.
• Enhanced analytics dashboards for visualizing trends and high-risk locations.

More than 250 agencies use Urban SDK. In Chesapeake, Va., the platform helped officials streamline their traffic calming process. In Arlington, Texas, it’s used to evaluate enforcement strategies. El Cajon, Calif., it reduced resident complaint response times from weeks to days using the platform.

Bentley’s Open API for Roadway Intelligence

Bentley Systems has launched an open API and self-service portal for its Blyncsy roadway intelligence platform, expanding accessibility for developers, agencies and businesses.

Unveiled at the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials Conference, the API allows third parties to integrate Bentley’s AI-powered roadway analytics directly into existing systems.

The Blyncsy platform leverages crowdsourced dashcam imagery and artificial intelligence to detect roadway conditions—such as debris, vegetation and, new in 2025, pedestrian and bicyclist activity. By exposing this data via a standardized API, Bentley enables developers and agencies to:

• Integrate real-time roadway insights into smart city platforms and fleet tools.
• Access condition data, asset locations, and infrastructure context.
• Use self-service tools to manage access and customize usage.

“By breaking down integration barriers, this new API fosters deeper collaboration and accelerates innovation in the transportation tech ecosystem,” said Mark Pittman, Bentley’s senior director of transportation AI.

J.J. Keller Enhances FleetMentor Compliance Tools

J.J. Keller & Associates has rolled out upgrades to its FleetMentor platform, a cloud-based compliance and driver management system for motor carriers.

Enhancements include:

• A profile builder that tailors the features by fleet size and regulatory requirements.
• A modern interface with intuitive navigation for compliance tasks.
• Expanded driver training management, now offering access to over 950 e-learning courses.
• More flexible recordkeeping tools for tracking incidents, inspections and training.

A recent company survey revealed that 48% of small carriers cited organizing driver qualification files as a top challenge, while 44% pointed to staying updated on regulations. With these updates, FleetMentor streamlines access to essential documents, training content and compliance reports.

Future updates are expected to include motor vehicle record monitoring and drug and alcohol testing program support.

SH 130 Deploys Real-Time Hazard Alerts

On Texas State Highway 130, the SH 130 Concession Company has become the first highway operator in the state to implement Emergency Safety Solutions’ H.E.L.P. Digital Alerts.

Part of the H.E.L.P. Alert Network, the system uses connected vehicle technology and emergency platform integrations to detect roadside incidents and push real-time hazard alerts to drivers through in-vehicle systems and navigation apps. The alerts are particularly impactful on SH 130, which has an 85-mph speed limit and high-speed traffic.

The alerts aim to reduce secondary crashes, enhance crew safety and keep operations flowing on the 41-mile toll road between Austin and Seguin.