Smart city technology deployed for Renew Atlanta project

Applied Information Inc. (AII) has revealed that its Glance Smart City technology has been deployed by the City of Atlanta as part of the Renew Atlanta infrastructure improvement program.

The Applied Information deployed in the Atlanta project comprises two main components that use the Internet of Things (IoT) to connect intelligent transportation system components to a central control platform, and then pass relevant information to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

AII’s Glance Smart City Supervisory System web-based management platform is connected to: traffic intersection controllers through the Glance Intersection Status Monitoring System, flashing school zone safety beacons, a parking guidance system, Glance Preemption and Priority System units, and other ITS devices, such as cameras and sensors.

The platform then sends information to the Glance TravelSafely smartphone application, which connects drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to both the infrastructure and to each other, in order to improve safety and mobility in the corridors covered by the system. Developed and manufactured by AII, the equipment has been deployed by Temple Inc., an Alabama-based electrical contractor and systems integrator.

In Atlanta, the combined Supervisory System and TravelSafely app provides:

• Emergency vehicles with priority green lights at intersections that are flushed of traffic ahead of time. App users in the area will receive notification of the approaching emergency vehicle;

• A total of 46 of the city’s intersections, five school zone beacons, nine pedestrian crossing beacons, and 24 Traffic Communications Corridors connected using dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and wireless cellular technology to the city’s traffic control center, enabling traffic engineers to monitor and control the signals and beacons remotely;

• Cyclists and pedestrians using the app are warned of a vehicle approaching at a dangerous speed and trajectory, and in turn, drivers using the app get a message that a cyclist or pedestrian is ahead; and

• Motorists using the app receive a warning if they are about to run a traffic signal, and are also provided with the color of the signal ahead and a change countdown;

• Motorists with the app are given notification they have entered a school zone and a warning if they exceed the reduced speed limit.

“Through the everyday use of smartphones and other wireless technology, we see that a connected world just works better,” said Bryan Mulligan, president of Applied Information. “Connecting people on the move to make them more visible to each other can help save lives, and make commuting safer and more enjoyable."