Proxim and SI’s wireless system wins award for saving LA County US$7 million

Proxim Wireless Corporation and Systems Integrated (SI) have been presented with the 2009 National Association of Counties Achievement Award for their deployment of a new wireless communication system for the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. The honor is presented each year to recognize the creativity and imagination of counties across the USA. The need to provide communications to traffic signals throughout LA County resulted in SI’s design and implementation contract of a Proxim wireless network. The deployment is a key element of LA County’s expansive ITS program, which is dedicated to reducing smog and traffic congestion with technology.

Wireless radio installation reduced both the costs for signal communication while also assisting the County’s goal to reduce traffic problems for the traveling public.
LA County estimates that by using Proxim’s wireless radio technology to connect the 1,000 traffic intersections it has saved its ITS program US$7 million in set-up and operating costs, over traditional copper or fiber-optic installations. The county estimates that the use of the radios will save them a further US$708,000 annually, versus the cost of leased telephone lines.

When completed, more than 1,200 Proxim Tsunami MP.11 point-to-multipoint radios will have been deployed for 1,000 traffic-signalized intersections across the county. Approximately 30 of the intersections will also be equipped with one or more video cameras to enable remote monitoring of traffic flow. The cameras will also supply data to enable remote adjustment of signal timing for flow optimization.

The data is fed to the Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Alhambra, where it is used by the Kimley-Horn Integrated Traffic Systems (KITS) software to relieve congestion for commuters through more than 30 cities in LA County. “The ability to deploy a wireless communications network for monitoring the operation of 1,000 traffic signals is a huge enabler of productivity for LA County, and will go a long way toward their goal to reduce congestion and enable real-time traffic signal monitoring,” explains John Holbrook, general manager of SI. Pankaj Manglik, CEO of Proxim, says, “More cities and counties are realizing that wireless technology can save them a lot of money, in both up front and recurring costs.”

20 November 2009