The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $20 million to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to implement vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, with the goal of improving road safety, mobility, and efficiency. This innovative technology uses sensors and wireless connectivity to enable vehicles to communicate with drivers and their surroundings.
Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt praised Utah for being a leader in promoting V2X technologies and emphasized the importance of using these tools to reduce fatalities on highways nationwide. By utilizing this technology, drivers will receive real-time information about road conditions such as sharp curves, adverse weather, and closures, ultimately improving safety for all road users.
UDOT’s press release highlighted the benefits of a connected network across state lines, such as enabling plow operators to clear roads faster, preventing crashes involving vulnerable road users, and providing warnings about work zones and disabled vehicles. UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras emphasized the potential for V2X technology to save lives and expressed eagerness to expand the connected network beyond state borders.
Utah’s first connected vehicle corridor along Redwood Road demonstrates the effectiveness of V2X technology, with buses communicating with traffic signals to optimize traffic flow. USDOT has set a goal to equip 25% of signalized intersections in the top 75 metro areas in the U.S. with V2X technology, and the Salt Lake City metropolitan area is making progress towards this goal. Thanks to Utah’s extensive fiber optic network, the majority of traffic signals in Utah are already connected.
Overall, implementing V2X technology in Utah represents a significant step forward in transportation safety and efficiency, with potential for expansion nationwide that could ultimately lead to safer roads for all drivers and other road users around the country.
