16 Avenue N Connected Vehicle pilot project

The City has installed new technology called Connected Vehicle (CV) Equipment at 16 intersections with signal lights along 16 Avenue N. Radios were installed in several Calgary Fire Department vehicles in 2020. The 16 Avenue corridor was used as a testing area, providing software vendors and vehicle manufacturers a place to test their products in the real-world. 

The City is looking at different ways to deliver Connected Vehicle information to Calgarians using existing internet connections and cellphones, rather than installing new equipment at each intersection. The City is partnering with app developers to provide real-time signal information to all signals across the city, making it accessible to Calgarians through their phones or in their connected car systems.

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Connected Vehicle Technology can communicate directly to people who drive, or wheel, either on a vehicle’s dashboard or to a cell phone.

Messages have information on:

• Traffic signal timing, including how long a light will remain green to how long a red light will last.
• Warnings that another vehicle is quickly approaching the intersection from another direction and may not stop.
• Custom sound or vibration alerts when a crosswalk is active for people who are vision impaired.

Traffic signal timing information allows people who drive to match their speed to the green wave along the corridor, reducing stops and emissions through smoother driving. The alerts will display in a non-distracting way such as an arrow on a vehicle’s speedometer. This data is generated at the intersection, so users always have up-to-date information. People who walk and wheel can use a cell phone to communicate with the intersection and receive timing information and safety alerts.

As car manufacturers begin installing this type of equipment as a feature on vehicles, the City hopes to offer applications to Calgarians. The messages use strong authentication to ensure that users know they are from the City. The user’s ID is randomized every five minutes so messages cannot be tied to personal information or tracked.

To learn more, see our Smart city story.

In June 2018, Transport Canada supplied funding to The City of Calgary to set up a connected vehicle pilot on 16 Avenue North. The Federal Government’s Program to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System (ACATS) contributed $290,000 to buy equipment and software to enable Connected Vehicle communication. The City contributed labor to install the equipment and connect them to the traffic signal controller.

Recognizing the challenges with equipping all traffic signals with dedicated radio equipment, the City is exploring using the internet to communicate with end users and avoid the cost of installing radios. Some examples of future use that utilizes existing internet infrastructure include:

• Integration with buses to provide priority greens at signals to speed up transit times and smoother rides.
• Allow people who cycle to see when a signal will turn green so they can plan their speed and effort.
• Supply safety-related messages to people who drive, wheel or walk to help avoid collisions.
• Supply traffic information directly into a vehicle so people who drive can avoid congestion or closures.
• Allow more options for vision-impaired people to request crosswalks and receive sound or vibration feedback when it is safe to cross the road.
• Give mobility-impaired people who walk a way to request more time to cross the road.