Traffic cams can make an intersection more fair for bicycles, cars and pedestrians.

Some stoplights are on timers, others sense when a car is at the intersection to inform the system that a car is waiting. If no car, the light doesn't change. Problem is, that system often can't detect a bicycle. Pedestrians get the "push to walk" button.

A better technology, to detect both bikes and cars, is cameras. Well, some people worry about privacy issues, including some speeders who worry. I say, "bring on the traffic cameras for safer streets."

This writing is inspired by a conversation I had with AI, another technology that people worry about.

I often come up with innovative ideas that professionals often don't have the time to converse with me about. A recent brainstorm, of mine, was a way to use microelectronics embedded in crosswalk paint to detect bicycles.

Traditional detection for cars, at an intersection, is an electronic loop under the pavement. That has trouble detecting the small magnetic signal of a bike verses a massive car. It has to detect through the pavement. It's also hard to repair or replace requiring city crews to dig up the pavement.

Paint is above ground. My above ground idea would be easier to reach. I wanted to see if it had been thought about. Yes, as I expected, there are plenty of people thinking about this. AI sifted through tons of documents to let me know.

Yes, its being considered, but there are a host of technical problems with it. I can go into that, but this is already a long post. Bottom line is, above ground traffic cams work better.

Some people resist the idea of having cameras as if it's "the surveillance state." I don't think I'd want to live in "surveillance China," but I am for safe streets. Who would be against that, except maybe speeders?