A signaling system about the signaling system is the essence of the problem that technologies like DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications) are trying to solve. That is, what sort of fuel efficiencies and safety improvements could be made if drivers simply knew when a traffic light would change from red to green or were told how fast to drive to ensure they didn’t have to stop at the light?
Those are some of the questions that Connected Signals are trying to answer in the study they are currently running in Phoenix, Portland, Las Vegas, and San Jose. Unlike a DRSC approach, Connected Signals doesn’t require modifications to traffic signals. They install a device in the command center that receives city-wide traffic signal information and then communicates that information to their smartphone application.
In the above interview, Peter Flier, GIS Analyst III of Connected Signals, demonstrates their solution in traffic around #CES2018. He discusses the study [which this author is currently enrolled] and how it will measure driver performance before and after a driver starts using the app. It will test not only potential safety improvements, but verify the 8 to 12% improvements in efficiency suggested by OEMs.
As Flier points out, it will be interesting to see if the additional information about signals will change the behavior of those drivers who think that yellow means accelerate. Flier explains that they have multiple approaches to monetizing the data – from mapping to insurance to providing information to cities about intersection safety – in the aggregate, while protecting the privacy of the individual user.
If you live in one of the aforementioned cities and want to participate in one of the studies, sign up at
https://connectedsignals.com/studies
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