Imagine a scenario where an ambulance is swiftly navigating Dallas city streets en route to an emergency, encountering a seamless stream of green lights facilitated by precise AI-guided mapping.
This is just one of the exciting prospects envisioned by the proponents of a plan to establish a regional technology corridor spanning from Dallas to Fort Worth.
The Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments is seeking a $10 million federal grant to kickstart this ambitious endeavor. The proposed funds would be allocated towards establishing a centralized hub for overseeing transit data, operations, and digital infrastructure along Interstate 30 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
To complement this federal grant, an additional $6 million from regional toll revenue is earmarked for the project, as the federal Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation program necessitates a 20% match in local funds. The envisioned corridor would encompass the mainline freeway, frontage roads, managed lanes, and 56 intersections spanning Dallas, Grand Prairie, Arlington, and Fort Worth.
Over the years, cities in the region have been incorporating technology to progress towards regional transportation management. Systems like MaxView in Dallas and Fort Worth enable advanced traffic signal control, while software in Grand Prairie and Arlington serves as a centralized management hub for multiple city intersections.
The proposed digital corridor, often referred to as a “system of systems,” would aggregate real-time data from city-based centers like these, in addition to information from field devices such as highway corridor cameras, the Texas Department of Transportation’s traffic management system, and work zone updates. By consolidating this data at a central hub, it could be utilized to formulate response strategies and aid motorists in trip planning by disseminating traffic details to external platforms like Google Maps.
Natalie Bettger, senior program manager, highlighted the vision of operating this corridor as an integrated system, allowing for dynamic signal adjustments during incidents, potential traffic diversions to frontage roads, and even accommodating a transit component to balance demand fluctuations effectively.
Michael Morris, the regional transportation director, expressed his aspiration for the corridor to serve as a comprehensive data repository for various entities, including TxDOT, the North Texas Tollway Authority, and municipalities in the area. Furthermore, it would streamline the process for third-party entities like autonomous vehicle operators to establish a unified agreement for technological synchronization, eliminating the complexities of navigating multiple traffic management centers.
If greenlit, the initial phase of the project could set a precedent for future corridors and enable cities in the region to incorporate cutting-edge technology into traffic management, potentially facilitating expedited routes for emergency vehicles through advanced signaling systems.
The proposal aligns with the objectives of the federal ATTAIN program, which aims to support projects leveraging technology to enhance road safety, alleviate traffic congestion, optimize multimodal system efficiency, and integrate transportation data. The program is set to select and fund five to ten projects, providing up to $12 million each.
The proposal is scheduled for review by the North Texas Council of Government’s executive board on Jan. 25 and the surface transportation technical committee on Jan. 26, with grant applications due by Feb. 2.
