Greensboro Using Technology To Help Make City Roads Safer

Some Greensboro motorists will soon have access to new information that could make driving safer.

While the Gate City already has an advanced traffic signal system that collects data, some of it will now be shared with drivers. The city is partnering with a company to provide some of that information.

The pilot program will use what's known as connected vehicle technology to send real time traffic information to drivers. For example, motorists will be able to see a countdown on their dash when a light will become green or will be given information about what speed they should drive to catch the next green light.

It's not available at this time for all vehicles, only newer-model Audis equipped with a certain package.

The goal is to help drivers make better decisions on the roadway, reduce congestion and reduce emissions.

Chris Spencer is with the Greensboro Department of Transportation. He says the data will also be used to make improvements in the city's traffic system.

“It tells us more about 'are our signals timed appropriately, are vehicles arriving on red when we want them to be arriving on green,'” says Spencer. “It helps us kind of make decisions, so it's data that we can turn around and use to make our system better.”

Spencer says the Greensboro City Council will have to approve the program. If it gets the green light, the city will start sharing the traffic signal information with drivers sometime this summer.

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