Skip to main content

Siemens invests in connected vehicle technology for Smart Columbus initiative

Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems is providing an in-kind investment of its connected vehicle hardware and software technologies to Columbus, Ohio, the recent winner of the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge. Siemens’ investment, valued at US$385,000, aims to support the expansion of the ‘Smart Columbus’ initiative. The advanced hardware and software will act as the foundation for the city’s future connected vehicle efforts, enabling vehicles to communicate with traffic infrast
May 12, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
189 Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems is providing an in-kind investment of its connected vehicle hardware and software technologies to Columbus, Ohio, the recent winner of the 324 US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Smart City Challenge.


Siemens’ investment, valued at US$385,000, aims to support the expansion of the ‘Smart Columbus’ initiative. The advanced hardware and software will act as the foundation for the city’s future connected vehicle efforts, enabling vehicles to communicate with traffic infrastructure and, as a result, improve driver and pedestrian safety, reduce congestion and lower emissions.

The Siemens intelligent software and hardware package for Columbus includes connected vehicle-ready traffic control software that provides operators with detailed traffic signal phase timing, roadside units that allow traffic intersections to communicate with vehicles and roadside unit management software that gives operators real-time visibility into traffic flow and connected vehicle operations. Siemens will also provide the city with training and support.

As part of its Smart Columbus initiative, the city will determine the most effective use cases and locations to implement the connected vehicle technology.

The City of Columbus won the USDOT US$40 million Smart City Challenge in June 2016 after competing against 77 cities nationwide. Columbus was also awarded a US$10 million grant by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the de-carbonisation of the electric supply and transportation sectors.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • A carbon free and accident free Europe by 2015?
    February 2, 2012
    By 2050, the Europe Commission aims to make transport in Europe carbon- and accident-free. Between now and then, however, a significant technological development and deployment effort is needed. Here, Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, talks about what's being done. In many respects, COOPERS, CVIS and SAFESPOT, set up by the European Commission (EC) to explore the potential of cooperative infrastructure systems, are already legacy projects. Between them, the three devel
  • Wireless technology aids workzone communications
    June 7, 2012
    Need for a temporary communication fix during a construction project has led to rapid deployment of a permanent but simplistic wireless broadband network in Chandler, Arizona When a major construction project was expected to disrupt highway communications in the city of Chandler, Arizona, the city’s engineers went looking for a simple solution. They needed a way of maintaining data connections with three consecutive intersections along Arizona Avenue in Chandler while construction necessitated the severin
  • Doha implements traffic control system
    November 21, 2012
    Expansion of ITS systems has accelerated in Qatar this year, with rapid deployment of a traffic control system in Doha. Less than 10 years from now an extensive system of ITS technology will be operating in Qatar, informing and directing users of the country’s roads. That can be stated with confidence for a number of reasons: the world’s richest country per capita will host the World Cup in 2022 and is understood to be planning to develop sophisticated systems of ITS for road safety and traffic managemen
  • USDOT hosts webinar on New York connected vehicle pilot
    August 22, 2016
    The US Department of Transportation is hosting a webinar on 22 August at 1500-1600 EDT, Insights, Challenges and Lessons Learned from the Concept Development Phase - New York City (NYCDOT) Pilot Site. The New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot is part of a national effort to advance connected vehicle technologies through deployment, testing, and demonstration, as well as sharing lessons learned for future connected vehicle providers. The pilot, which is anticipated to be the largest connected vehicle depl