The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) announced this week that vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) technology is being tested on a section of M-97 (Groesbeck Highway) in Macomb County,
State officials have teamed up with counterparts in Macomb County to equip six intersections along the highway with short-range communications devices. These devices will relay information from signal to bus, and inform drivers of signal timing changes and potential red-light violations. The devices were supplied by Danlaw Inc.
“Collaboration is vital, and Michigan again is where the technologies of tomorrow are being tested today,” State Transportation Director Kirk Steudle said. “This testing is the first step in making public transit safer and more efficient, and these first steps are being taken right here in southeast Michigan.”
While it is only a first step, MDOT has already laid out plans to install permanent versions of the devices along transit lines on M-3 and M-53 in Macomb County.
“One of SMART’s goals is to look for innovative ways to improve our transit service, especially along our busiest and most congested corridors,” John C. Hertel, general manager of the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), said. “To be a part of Michigan’s first public transit pilot with connected vehicle technology is a great opportunity.”
This SMART bus action, and other tests, will be used to enhance that planned system and their onboard counterparts.