The City of Fairlawn is deploying Ohio’s first fully connected vehicle (CV) corridor along Market Street to improve safety and reduce congestion. The initiative includes green lights for emergency vehicles and transit buses, school zone safety, and public engagement through the TravelSafely App.
The technology was developed by Applied Information in partnership with Path Master. The project is supported and partially funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), with strategic support from Nick Hegemier of Drive Ohio.
Using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technology, the city is targeting improvements in safety around schools, improving response time for fire fighters, reducing congestion caused by transit buses and improving on-time performance. Drivers who download the TravelSafely app will receive red light running alerts and notifications of approaching emergency vehicles.
Installation of the technology began in August and is expected to be completed in September. The deployment includes Glance connected vehicle technology installed at intersections, on vehicles for first responders and municipal fleets, and on Metro RTA buses equipped for transit signal priority.
The system is integrated with the TravelSafely smartphone app to provide real-time audio alerts to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, enhancing situational awareness and reducing the risk of collisions.
“Fairlawn is leveraging connected vehicle technology to serve our residents today while laying the foundation for the smart city applications of tomorrow,” Fairlawn director of public service Ernie Staten said. “This corridor not only enhances public safety but also contribute to local economic development efforts along the Route 18 corridor. It’s the beginning of what will be transformative to the future development of the city.”
The corridor will also support Metro RTA buses with transit signal priority technology to reduce delays, improve schedule reliability, and promote public confidence in transit services.
“This deployment marks a significant advancement in Ohio’s intelligent transportation infrastructure,” added president of Applied Information, Inc, Bryan Mulligan. “Fairlawn is demonstrating how connected vehicle technology can benefit a wide range of community members, from students walking to school to firefighters on emergency calls.”
“The City of Fairlawn, in partnership with its dedicated departments, is proud to lead a groundbreaking program that will set a national benchmark for connected vehicle innovation. Through a focused, goal-driven systems engineering approach, we aim not only to deliver the real-world benefits of this deployment, but also to inspire municipalities across the country to harness cutting-edge technologies that enhance public safety and improve quality of life,” concluded Scott Morse of Path Master, the project’s equipment and systems provider.
