Dublin Installs Connected Vehicle Technology at Intersections
By Bruce Edwards
The roadside unit sends information to a screen inside a vehicle alerting the driver to the color of the traffic light. The screen also counts down when the light is yellow, letting drivers know how long before it turns red.
Dublin is dipping its toe into the world of connected vehicles by installing technology at two intersections that is designed to warn drivers of potential accidents.
“Roadside unit” technology was installed at the intersection of Perimeter Loop Road and Avery-Muirfield Drive and the intersection of Perimeter Drive and Avery-Muirfield Drive.
The roadside unit sends information to a screen inside a vehicle alerting the driver to the color of the traffic light. The screen also counts down when the light is yellow, letting drivers know how long before it turns red.
Two city of Dublin vehicles have the screens, and all 225 city vehicles are to be equipped in the next couple of years, Dublin Public Works Director Megan O’Callaghan said.
“A major benefit of connected-vehicle technology is it enables us to provide information to drivers in real time,” she said.
The technology is part of the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor project, a 35-mile stretch of Route 33 in central Ohio where the state is investing $15 million to install advanced highway technology.
The screens in the vehicles will communicate with the roadside units over time, sharing traffic information such as the location and speed of vehicles. The data collected will be used to help measure traffic patterns and traffic flow from adjacent streets and intersections.
“We believe connected technology is really going to transform roads,” O’Callaghan said.
Marysville similar technology in November. All 27 of the city’s traffic lights will be upgraded with connected technology, as will 1,200 vehicles.