Connected Signals offers cities free C2X

Connected Signals is offering city authorities the ability of providing C2X connectivity at around 80% of their signalised intersections within three months for less than it would cost to instrument a single junction using dedicated short range communications (DSRC). In fact the company is offering to provide the equipment, known as V2If (Vehicle to Infrastructure for Free), free of charge to city authorities.
June 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Matthew Ginsberg of Connected Signals

8440 Connected Signals is offering city authorities the ability of providing C2X connectivity at around 80% of their signalised intersections within three months for less than it would cost to instrument a single junction using dedicated short range communications (DSRC). In fact the company is offering to provide the equipment, known as V2If (Vehicle to Infrastructure for Free), free of charge to city authorities.

Key to this generosity is that the company’s solution runs on a single Raspberry Pibased device which monitors the existing communications between the roadside signal controllers and the traffic management centre (TMC).

Those communications are then processed to determine signal timings and that information is then available over the internet. “We don’t intervene in the communications system so there are no warranty or compatibility issues with the existing equipment and our algorithms then determine the timing and sequencing of the lights and can predict when the changes will happen,” said company president David Etherington. “We then make that information available via the internet so it can be used in ‘Speed to Green’ type applications,” he added.

“It would cost around $20,000 to instrument a single intersection in a traditional fashion with DSRC in each signal head and at the roadside. We can do a whole city for less than that – in fact the equipment, support and maintenance is free to city authorities,” said Etherington.

While the system works best with fixed light timings, Etherington said the system learns how adaptive signals react in various traffic conditions and as we don’t have any input to the signalling system, there are no security issues to worry about.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • High-res traffic data provides planners with the big picture
    November 5, 2015
    Road authorities have a lot to gain from high-resolution traffic data, argues Pravin Varaiya. Traffic engineers have traditionally been forced to operate with limited data regarding the performance of their arterials. Traffic studies are often commissioned once every three years, over a few days, to get an updated estimate of utilization.
    Read More
  • Traffic signal priority initiatives aid better bus travel
    March 15, 2012
    David Crawford investigates traffic signal priority initiatives developing for better bus travel on the US Pacific Coast Transit patronage rises by an average of 35% along commuter corridors equipped with bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, according to the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). BRT as defined as bus transit enhanced with ITS systems for better services, is winning new passengers attracted by opportunity to avoid increasing fuel costs and traffic congestion.
    Read More
  • 3M sees big potential in ITS sector
    December 16, 2013
    Having re-entered the ITS market, 3M is busy shaping the future technology for vehicle detection, tolling and parking, as Colin Sowman discovers. Having sold off its Opticom business in 2007, 3M effectively re-entered the ITS market last year paying $110 million for Federal Signal Technology Group (FSTech) – but why?
    Read More
  • Mature solutions for emerging economies
    June 8, 2015
    Siemens’ Marcus Welz talks to David Crawford about suitable ITS solutions for emerging economies. Be bold in vision - and output - and user-oriented in practice,” Marcus Welz advises emerging economies planning ITS investments. Says the Siemens Group senior vice president and global sales director for ITS: “Their road users need better, more reliable and safer trips – but without costs increasing too much. The good news is that many countries are already tackling the big issues of traffic and the environmen
    Read More

Highlighted Content