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

  • The search for travel management's Holy Grail
    October 10, 2018
    Combining accurate network estimates and forecasts with real-time information is the way to deal with traffic hot spots. Alan Dron looks at products which aim to achieve just that. Traffic management authorities have for years been trying to get ahead of the game. Instead of reacting to situations, they want to be able to head them off as they occur – or even before they happen. Finding that Holy Grail of successfully anticipating problems will save time, tension and tempers on city streets. Two new system
    Read More
  • New name offers new solutions
    November 26, 2013
    Pete Goldin examines Nokia’s rationale for combining its location services, digital mapping and other capabilities under the HERE brand. While it has divested itself of its mobile phone business to Microsoft, Nokia has kept hold of its HERE business unit and brand which incorporates the company’s location services with digital mapping and other capabilities. The creation of HERE is much more than rebranding as its services are heading off the map and into the cloud. “HERE offers the first location cloud
    Read More
  • Cost benefit: just $25 boosts pedestrian safety in Florida
    April 29, 2019
    A relatively straightforward change to the way that pedestrians cross the street in a Florida city has made a significant safety improvement. And what’s more, it was cheap, finds David Crawford Installing a lead pedestrian interval (LPI) system at 25 central business district signalised intersections in the Florida city of Lakeland has cut numbers of incidents involving pedestrians by some 60% - at a cost of US$25 for 30 minutes' work, according to traffic operations manager Angelo Rao.
    Read More
  • Measuring the effectiveness of winter VMS
    August 5, 2013
    A survey into the effectiveness of weather-related variable message signs on a trans-mountain highway has some interesting results, as Alexis Bacelar told ITS Europe. A study in the Massif Central region of France evaluating the usefulness of winter weather warning signs has highlighted the effect of variable message signs on driver behaviour. During the winter of 2009-2010, road operator Massif Central Direction Interdépartementale des Routes (MC DIR) started installing bad weather-specific variable messag
    Read More

Highlighted Content