The Infrastructure-Automotive Technology Laboratory (iATL) is the first facility in the world where automakers and transportation infrastructure manufacturers will be able to imagine, create and test technology and applications for connected vehicles to communicate with traffic signals and other smart roadside traffic control equipment.

The rise of Tesla has ignited hopes of a future where autonomous vehicles would maximize efficiency and minimize accidents, while enabling drivers and passengers to read a book, work or watch a movie without paying attention to the road. While these aspirations may still be years away, the same underlying technology is already helping to alleviate traffic in other ways.

Greetings! 2019 has been quite a year. I feel like I’ve seen more change over the last ten months than in my previous 23 years in the traffic industry. That may sound extreme, but big things are happening! C-V2X advances from Ford, the growth of the 5GAA and the announcement of the iATL in Alpharetta have created tremendous momentum in the traffic industry. What’s amazing is that 2020 looks to build on where we’ve been and push the market even further.

When responding to an emergency, traffic congestion and red lights aren’t merely an inconvenience for first responders; they represent a critical delay in helping those in need. The Glance Preemption and Priority System uses a combination of hardware and software, working seamlessly together, to clear the path and get firefighters and first responders get to their destination faster and safer.