Siemens, along with Brandmotion and Commsignia, is working with the City of Las Vegas to provide a turnkey vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) system along Casino Center Boulevard, as part of a pilot project to create a connected and safer road environment in the downtown district.
The V2X technology has been installed on the corridor between Bonneville and Clark Avenues and will be demonstrated at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is taking place in the Nevada city this week (January 9-12). The Siemens V2I technology that has been deployed includes roadside and vehicle infrastructure, innovative software applications, and a digital Smart City platform that enables vehicles and pedestrians to communicate with traffic infrastructure such as intersections, corridors, and traffic signals, in real-time to enhance situational awareness, improve safety and prevent injuries.
The city is committed to trialing the latest digital tools to make an impact on its pedestrian and public roadway safety, and is using this six-month pilot program as the start of future connected vehicle technology infrastructure projects.
As a result of increasing pedestrian fatalities in the city, the initial connected vehicle pilot will focus on two key initial priorities:
Pedestrian safety – A crosswalk will be equipped with roadside units (RSUs) to warn oncoming drivers when a pedestrian is present in the crosswalk by transmitting the information to onboard units (OBUs) installed in their vehicles. This information could also be transmitted to pedestrians to detect a potential vehicle/pedestrian collision near the crosswalk and potentially prevent an incident;
Corridor Notifications – Vehicles equipped with the connected technology will receive information and warnings from connected street infrastructure, such as when vehicles are traveling in the wrong direction, in an exclusive bus-only travel lane, and for certain times of the day, when lane usage has been restricted. Casino Center Boulevard is a common entry point for wrong-way drivers onto the Bonneville and Clark one-way streets, and also unauthorized entry onto an exclusive transit lane.
“By showcasing this smart city technology, Las Vegas is building a truly connected, multimodal system that provides a safer and more efficient road network for its residents and visitors,” said Marcus Welz, CEO of Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems.
“The initial V2I technologies provide a foundation for enhanced safety in a heavily frequented area of Las Vegas, while its usage and its smart application will continue to expand throughout the city. The impact of this future-prove technology will be significant for road users.”
