Charleston to upgrade Calhoun Street with AI technology for driver safety

February 19, 2026 — Charleston, SC — The City of Charleston will upgrade Calhoun Street with new technology focused on improving safety and reducing drive times for the estimated 20,000 cars that use the corridor daily.

The downtown street connects the peninsula from east to west and serves as a main thoroughfare for visitors and residents.

“Anybody that comes to the peninsula typically is going to go on Calhoun Street,” Mayor William Cogswell said.

Data shows that more than 700 crashes occurred on the corridor between 2013 and 2018.

“You know, this intersection is in a continuum of dangerous intersections,” Dr. David Cole, president of the Medical University of South Carolina, said.

Technology will monitor traffic in real time

The city plans to use artificial intelligence combined with traditional traffic management approaches to address safety concerns.

“Common sense with AI, combination,” Cogswell said.

The new technology will allow officials to monitor traffic conditions in real time and make adjustments to intersections as needed.

“Connected the ability to monitor in real time and then make adjustments to the intersection,” Lee White, deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, said.

Officials said they will analyze data to make both automated and manual adjustments to traffic patterns.

“Make adjustments both through algorithms, but you can also do it manually based on situations,” Cogswell said.

The upgrades will affect drivers as well as people who live, work and attend school in downtown Charleston, including those connected to MUSC.

“There’s more patients, more families, more students, everything within our campus,” Cole said.

The signals will respond dynamically to traffic demand to help reduce congestion, improve travel times, and minimize conflict points.