FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — The more we develop technology, the more improvements can be made to our roads.
Watch Ali's report in the video player below
The University of Michigan is using GPS technology from inside your car that will not only mean less time waiting in traffic, it will also make roads safer.
The system only needs GPS data from 5% of cars to recalibrate traffic signals, and so far, updates have been made to 13 intersections in Oakland County, specifically in Farmington Hills and Royal Oak.
There are also plans to expand the program.
For James Dorsey of Detroit, the thought of his GPS data being used makes him feel a little uneasy.
“Just off hearing it you would think its weird, you know GPS data from your car being used, you don’t know where it’s being used, so yeah, it sounds a little iffy. If I hear the backstory, I wouldn’t mind," Dorsey said.
Here's the backstory. The University of Michigan teamed up with the Road Commission of Oakland County to update traffic lights, taking GPS data from cars to make those updates.
“Once we know the performance, we can identify where it can be potentially improved, and we can diagnose in terms of the problem," Henry Liu, from U-M Civil and Environmental Engineering, said.
Liu points to two big benefits – cost savings and safety.
Oakland County spends about $5,000 to recalibrate traffic lights. That includes the cost of having people count the cars, the labor in calculating the timing and the time to physically reprogram the lights.
Pulling GPA data is half the cost at $2,500.
Second, improved traffic flow means improved safety.
“Does this make our roads safer?” I asked Liu
”Oh yeah, definitely. They will help with safety as well because when you have smoother traffic flow. It also reduces in terms of the rear-end collisions too," he said.
So far, four signals have been updated on 8 Mile between Orchard Lake and Brentwood St. in Farmington Hills. It's led to a 30% reduction in delays and a 40% reduction in stops.
Nine signals have been updated on 12 Mile in Royal Oak between Vinsetta and North Connecticut Ave. It's led to a 20% reduction in both delays and stops.
A $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation is helping expand the program and helping recalibrate an additional 40 intersections in Oakland County.
