The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) a $20 million grant to “connect the west” with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology.
This technology uses sensors and wireless connectivity so vehicles can connect to and communicate with drivers and their surroundings to enhance road safety, mobility, and efficiency.
“Utah is a leader in promoting and deploying V2X technologies to explore the potential to save lives on our nation’s highways,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt in a press release announcing the grant. “The funding provided today will help accelerate the technology so that we can deploy it on a national scale and provide new tools to reduce fatalities on our nation’s highways.”
According to the press release from UDOT, connectivity across state lines will provide better information to drivers about sharp curves, adverse weather conditions, and road closures. It will help plow operators clear roads faster, identify the location of vulnerable road users so crashes can be prevented, and provide driver warnings about work zones and disabled vehicles.
“We see this as a potential inflection point in transportation, especially for safety,” said Carlos Braceras, UDOT executive director in the press release. “With this technology, we will be able to save more lives sooner. We look forward to working with our partners as we expand this connected network beyond the borders of our state.”
Utah installed its first connected vehicle corridor along Redwood Road. Buses equipped with special radios “talk” to the traffic signals along these roads, and if the bus is running behind schedule, the signal can extend the length of the green light.
USDOT has a goal to have 25% of the signalized intersections in the top 75 metro areas in the U.S. equipped with V2X technology. According to a report from Ksl.com, the Salt Lake City metropolitan area already has 20% of its signals equipped, and construction is scheduled this year to finish the remaining five percent to reach that goal.
And because of the state’s fiber optic network (including 2,700 miles of fiber in both urban and rural areas), nearly all of the traffic signals in Utah are connected (96%).
Source: Ksl.com, the Utah Department of Transportation
