Smart Work Zones Reduce Congestion & Improve Safety

Given the proven efficacy of Waycare's Al. platform. the RTC is engaging in a first-of-its-kind effort to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety in and around road construction. The agency is testing various technologies, such as Nexar. and HAAS Alert, to detect work zones in real time. This allows them to broadcast the location of static barricade equipment—including cones, barrels, and signs—as well as construction vehicles and workers.

This insight feeds into the Waycare platform to inform first responders and law enforcement to support their roadside response efforts In addition. some of the technologies feed into popular traffic apps like Waze and the RTC's own traffic alert email and text message system to help motorists know what is ahead on their trip.

For example, the RTC has been teeing and recently expanded Nexar CityStream, which gath-ers data to improve traffic conditions and safety in and around road construction zones. Nexar's A.I.-based detection program crowdsources information about temporary traffic control devices such as cones and barricades in construction work zones and other road obstructions. This helps to mitigate congestion and reduce the possibility of traffic collisions.

Nexar's platform uses dashcams in private vehicles, taxis, and transportation network vehicles like Uber and Lyft to look for temporary traffic control devices and road obstructions from a driver's perspective. The dashcams provide anonymous real-time data on the status of hundreds of temporary traffic control devices. The footage allows Nexar to then analyze the effect on traffic location. date. time. number of traffic lanes affected. and a video frame image of the detected activity. In addition. Newer can report near-miss collisions or harsh braking situations—safety issues that previously were never recorded or monitored for causation trends and secondary effects.

The pilot with Nexar began in a 3-sq-mile area in downtown Las Vegas and now includes a total of 9 sq miles in both the cities of Las Vegas and Henderson. Since its launch in December 2018, Nexar-connected vehicles are logging approximately 800,000 miles within the Las Vegas Valley each week.

Another technology piloted by the RTC is iCone traffic control beacons. Currently. 40 of these state-of-the-art beacons are installed on cones, drums, and arrow boards, broadcasting their locations hem inside the work zone to the traveling public through the Waze traffic app.

Similarly, the RTC has partnered with HAAS Alert to Install its devices which broadcast. via the Ware app. the location of construe-Val vehicles, equipment, and workers within active construction zones. The goal is to alert traffic engineers and the traveling pubic of work zones along a route. As of January 2020, there are 12 HAAS Alert devices on fleet vehicles, including bus stop maintenance crews.

By providing roadway construction information from these technologies via the popular Waze app, the RTC empowers the Public with more knowledge as they plan their commute. With more real-time information, drivers can consider alternate routes to avoid a crash or road construction. helping reduce congestion and the possibility of secondary traffic collisions.

Nexar, iCone. and HAAS Alert have been tested actively in the field by the RTC for more than a year. To expand its efforts, beginning this year Southern Nevada jurisdictions seeking funding from the RTC for a roadway maintenance or improvement project will be required to use any combination of these devices to improve traffic operations and ultimately increase roadway safety in and around the congested areas created by road construction.

As we enter a new decade, advanced transportation technologies will continue to evolve, enabling traffic management agencies like the RTC to further enhance its efforts to improve roadway safety. taking an innovative leap in testing out new technology, not knowing what would be learned. To say the lessons learned are significant is an understatement. Technology is literally reshaping every facet of how we address roadway safety. The agency's ambition to explore and enter uncharted territory is what led to start-up companies that have produced positive results. As we continue to discover how technology can keep our growing region moving safely on the road, the RTC remains committed to aggressively pursuing new opportunities in technological advances.

This article originally appeared in Road & Bridges April 2020 Publication.