National City deploys new signal preemtion technology

National City, in San Diego county, California, has installed Opticom multimode signal equipment to enhance safety and provide more efficient traffic signal preemption and management. Currently, more than 70 intersections are equipped with infrared (IR) signal priority technology, most of which are Opticom devices. This allows emergency responders to activate green lights en route to their destination. With the new multimode technology installed at eight intersections, traffic signals can be triggered using
April 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSNational City, in San Diego county, California, has installed Opticom multimode signal equipment to enhance safety and provide more efficient traffic signal preemption and management. Currently, more than 70 intersections are equipped with infrared (IR) signal priority technology, most of which are Opticom devices. This allows emergency responders to activate green lights en route to their destination. With the new multimode technology installed at eight intersections, traffic signals can be triggered using IR or global positioning system (GPS) activation technology for even more control and efficiency.

"The National City landscape is unique, with steep hills and winding roads," said Mayor Ron Morrison. "GPS allows our emergency responders to trigger green signals from significantly further distances away from intersections. It will enhance safety for our citizens and emergency responders. And it will help us save lives."

The technology allows staff to monitor Opticom equipped intersections remotely in real-time for more efficient system management. Its central management software (CMS) offers remote monitoring capabilities to minimise the need for time-consuming trips to the intersections, which in turn reduces maintenance costs.
Networking & Communication Systems Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • $60m in grants from USDoT for V2X deployment
    June 27, 2024
    Arizona, Texas and Utah receive money to improved connectivity and transportation
    Read More
  • Adaptive control reduces travel time, cuts congestion
    January 20, 2012
    Situated in San Diego County, California, the growing city of San Marcos has seen its population increase by 53.5 per cent since the turn of the century. Although this dramatic population increase has spurred economic growth bringing new business, homes and opportunities to the city, it has also increased traffic congestion along its central corridor, San Marcos Boulevard. This became the most congested arterial in the city, and, by 2006, the second-most travelled corridor in San Diego County.
    Read More
  • Keeping a watching brief over traffic flows
    March 11, 2015
    Monitoring traffic flows is set to become an even bigger challengebut a revolution in camera technology can help, as Patrik Anderson explains. By 2025 almost 60% of the world’s population will live in urban areas and in those cities there will be an estimated 6.2 billion private motorised trips every day. In order to manage this level of traffic growth, traffic management centres (TMCs) will need to both increase their monitoring capabilities and be able to detect traffic problems quickly, efficiently and r
    Read More
  • Czech Republic deploying smart traffic lights to combat speeding
    May 4, 2012
    Municipalities in the Czech Republic are increasingly deploying smart traffic lights with radar that detects the speed of approaching vehicles and turns the signal red to slow them down to the required speed limit. Currently there are about 100 installations because mayors believe they are more efficient than speed cameras or speed humps. According to one mayor, over 90 per cent of drivers slow down because of the technology. The traffic light system contains a microwave radar sensor which measures speed. I
    Read More

Highlighted Content