As the annual CES show traffic builds in Las Vegas, the city and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada are betting big on new technology to make their streets smarter and to allow traffic to move more efficiently.
In partnership with Acyclica, Las Vegas is heading the charge with their smart city initiatives by installing a traffic-monitoring system that uses technology to help determine how well vehicles are moving (or not) and monitors the state of traffic signals - all in real time.
Acyclica will be
installing sensors at each of the region's 2,300 intersections and across the region's multi-jurisdiction corridors to provide the city and drivers a more holistic perspective on the region's traffic. The sensors will be used by the city to monitor and control traffic movement from their traffic control center. There, engineers can change traffic-signal timing, check various streets and intersections and analyze trends in real-time.
In addition, any driver in Las Vegas will soon be able to have access to a new type of smart city technology that allows traffic lights to communicate with their cars so they can know when the light is going to turn green. Equally important, autonomous cars will also have access to real-time traffic light data so they know when to stop or slow down. As you approach a traffic light anywhere in the Las Vegas area, your car will be able to show you the status of the light. The system can also tell cars and drivers the optimum speed along a stretch of road to ensure that they can proceed through the maximum number of green lights.
As part of a regional goal to achieve zero traffic fatalities, Acyclica will enable real-time traffic light information, accessible through
open APIs, to promote safe content delivery while drivers are stopped at traffic signals.
Audi recently announced Traffic Light Information as part of Audi's Connect PRIME subscription service, available with select 2017 Audi models. Soon they will have access to all the signals of Las Vegas. They are the first to take advantage of the new technology, but any car manufacturer can build it into their dashboards or devices.
So, as
CES 2017 kicks off, we enter a new world where cars can talk to their surroundings to reduce traffic congestion and reduce accidents and traffic signals can provide more information to drivers. Just imagine what CES 2018 will offer.