Kelowna: How to Handle Road User Balance in a Growing City

Case Studies

Author: Notraffic

Jul 30, 2025

Overview

Kelowna, British Columbia, is a thriving mid-sized city known for its temperate climate and natural beauty. It draws both tourists and seasonal residents throughout the year. But growth brings complexity, especially on the roads. With a population nearing 153,000 and increasing development pressure, the city faced mounting congestion challenges on Springfield Road. This key 4-lane divided arterial runs parallel to Highway 97 and serves as a vital alternative route to the highway. It supports 35,000 vehicles and between 200 to 600 pedestrians per day while connecting retail hubs, mixed-use developments, and primary commuter paths.

Kelowna’s traffic patterns are not static. Seasonal surges, evolving land use, and a diverse mix of road users created a need for a more adaptive approach. The city aimed to maintain pedestrian wait times below 60 seconds, reduce peak-hour vehicle delays, and improve coordination during off-peak periods. At the core of the effort were five critical intersections along Springfield Road that required a smarter, more balanced mobility strategy. One that could meet the needs of both drivers and pedestrians without compromise.

Location

Kelowna, British Columbia

Population

150,000+

About

Kelowna's success demonstrates that smart corridor management is not just for megacities. Mobility platforms like NoTraffic are a proven fit for evolving urban centers everywhere.

In 2024, Kelowna selected NoTraffic for a technical demonstration of its Mobility Platform across five intersections.

The deployment emphasized:

Reducing peak and all-day delay
Enhancing off-peak progression
Maintaining pedestrian wait times below 60 seconds

NoTraffic Optimization was deployed using fusion video/radar sensors and adaptive policies that dynamically adjust cycle lengths, splits, and offsets based on real-time conditions.

Additional considerations for the deployment included:

No changes to signal sequences or pedestrian recalls
No modification to lane alignment or signal minimums

The Result

The NoTraffic Mobility Platform delivered strong results across five key intersections on Springfield Road, where 35,000 vehicles travel daily. Kelowna saw a 12% overall delay reduction, including 8% in the AM and 14% in the PM, with eastbound drivers saving 20–25 seconds per trip.

At Springfield & Dilworth / Benvoulin, delays dropped by 40%, and westbound left-turn delay in the PM, previously a major issue, decreased by 22%. Total travel time savings reached 39,000 hours annually. Adaptive signal timing improved efficiency for drivers without compromising pedestrian or side street performance.

Both internal data and third-party metrics confirmed the improvements. Overall results validated adaptive signal optimization as a scalable solution for growing mid-sized cities.

Metric	Improvement (%)
Overall Delay	Reduced 12 %
Springfield & Dilworth/Benvoulin	Reduced 40 %
Pedestrian Delay	Kept to less than 60 sec
AM Peak Delay	Reduced 8 %
PM Peak Delay	Reduced 14 %
Total Economic Value *	$4.2 M ($5.8 M CAD)
CO₂ Reduction **	1,600 mt
CO₂ Reduction (tree-equivalents) **	15,000

A Model for Balancing Growth & Safety

Kelowna’s success in optimizing the Springfield Corridor demonstrates how data-driven mobility solutions empower mid-sized cities to manage rapid growth, support multimodal goals, and enhance safety. NoTraffic’s ability to dynamically balance pedestrian and vehicle needs resulted in measurable delay reductions and significant value creation for both residents and visitors, all without requiring infrastructure changes.

“If a particular intersection experiences a sudden increase in traffic, the adaptive system can quickly allocate more green time to alleviate congestion,” states manager Geert Bos to Kelowna city council. “If traffic volumes are suddenly reduced in one direction, the system can reallocate additional time to where it’s needed. This approach enhances overall traffic efficiency, reduces travel time, delay, and emissions, without compromising traffic safety.”

NOTES:

* Total Economic Value represents time and gas savings over the initial 5-year warranty plus operational savings related to signal re-timing, included data and analytics package, persistent camera installation, and NOC support
** Over initial 5-year warranty period