Oregon-based provider of predictive real-time traffic signal information Connected Signals has deployed its proprietary cloud-based vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology for the mass transit system in the City of Arcadia in California.
The new ‘smart’ signal priority program integrates Arcadia’s existing systems and incorporates Connected Signals’ patent pending V2I technology to improve mobility for the city’s public transport users. The technology reduces traffic signal delays, and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to anticipate users’ arrivals at signalized intersections and then request priority, thereby providing more efficiency and a smoother transit experience. Connected Signals is providing Arcadia with its new proprietary transit signal priority (TSP) cloud-based solution, which works on hardware already outfitted in the buses, and it operates along the city’s fixed bus routes to reduce trip time by improving a bus’s ability to get in the ‘green wave’, either by extending a green light or by having a signal return to green more quickly.
The collaboration between Arcadia and Connected Signals began in June 2018 and was supported by a grant from Los Angeles Metro Net Toll Grants program. Arcadia had specific parameters for the project. In order to eliminate the need for capital outlays and to minimize maintenance expenses going forward, the City preferred a software-only solution. The City also wanted to address what LA Metro calls the ‘first/last mile’ issue, providing and facilitating safety and experiential improvements for the first or last mile of a commuter’s journey as they approach or depart a station.
Traditional approaches to TSP require the installation of new hardware at every supported intersection, usually at significant cost in time and money. Connected Signals’ system uses only existing infrastructure, including the cellular network and cloud computing, to provide services at much lower cost and with much shorter lead times. The company’s approach is also expansible to a wide range of other services, including pedestrian priority, emergency medical service (EMS) preemption, cyclist detection and prioritization, and HOVE prioritization. All of these features can be provided by deploying new software, without requiring hardware installation or changes, which also means that long-term maintenance costs are significantly lower than for traditional systems.
“We developed this solution by focusing on the city’s desire to keep initial and maintenance costs low, and to ensure that the system architecture remained easy to maintain and use,” said Matt Ginsberg, co-founder and CEO of Connected Signals. “We were able to enhance our existing V2I technology to provide secure two-way communication and coordination between Arcadia’s Traffic Management System and the TSP app.”
Kevin Merrill, principal civil engineer with the City of Arcadia, commented, “Connected Signals brought on board a team that had the technical skills and ability to accomplish what we were thinking about. This project has proceeded smoothly and has exceeded our expectations through all phases; from our original meeting, through to development, testing, and finally, deployment They said they could do it, and they performed. That’s admirable, and it’s a great quality in a company you partner with.”
