The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) announced that more than 20 companies are participating in a Transportation Technology Showcase on Tues., Jan. 21, at the Freight Depot in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The program, the first of its kind, is sponsored by the Intelligent Transportation Society of Georgia (ITS) and Georgia Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).
 
Industry executives, as well as Georgia legislators and invited guests will preview hands-on demonstrations on topics including connected vehicles; safety initiatives for the future; traffic management center (TMC) operations; public service such as roadside assistance, 911 support and weather safety; and data science collection among other things.
 
These demonstrations bring together public and private partners offering scalable solutions that can have an impact on improving roadway safety and achieving better mobility within the state of Georgia and beyond.
 
Highlights of the event include:

A complete mini- transportation management center (TMC) – This mini-TMC set-up, which mimics Georgia DOT’s own facilities, showcases what inputs an operator has at their disposal to improve emergency response time, driver safety, and signal operations. Attendees can request to see data specific to their hometown or an intersection they know well.
 
Experience Connected Vehicle (CV) and traffic Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) -  Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will show attendees what is going on inside a connected vehicle and experience CV/SPaT technology in action. Attendees can either sit in the vehicle within the Depot and watch the SPaT data as the signal cycles, or ride along a route near the Capitol and see the SPaT data received in the vehicle using existing GDOT infrastructure.
 
The Latest in Pedestrian Safety – FLIR and Miovision will demonstrate the latest in pedestrian safety with a simulated pedestrian crosswalk. Attendees can sit in a car within the Depot using FLIR’s technology to view the vehicles’ in-dash pedestrian safety alerts as people walk by. Miovision will demonstrate how pedestrian detection works and how this technology is improving safety measures.
 
Traffic Signal Priority with MARTA – Attendees can ride a MARTA bus and learn how Transit Signal Priority works in the field using existing infrastructure. Riders will learn when the signal grants priority and if it doesn’t, what inputs cause it to delay the priority.
 
Locating Emergencies Fast and Efficiently – Attendees can provide their phone number to see how technology identifies their location and utilizes their camera (if the user elects to allow the use of one or both). This technology can be used to quickly locate motorists in distress, and aid GDOT forces in identify downed trees and power lines after inclement weather.
 
These are just a few examples of the innovative approaches being developed and implemented today. While not every exhibitor’s transportation solutions will find their way to Georgia roads, they certainly are exemplary of Georgia DOT’s commitment to embrace new technologies for the betterment of our state.