Member name:
Macomb County Department of Roads
Primary contact:
John Abraham, PhD, Director of Traffic and Operations
How long a member of ITS Michigan:
33
Type of organization (company, individual, public sector, academic): Public sector, county government
Primary product or service:
Design, operation and maintenance of Macomb County roadways.
Reason you’re involved in the field of ITS:
The Department of Roads’ mission is to provide the public with a quality county road system, with a focus on safety and convenience for motorists and the community, environmental responsibility and financial accountability. The technologies available through ITS solutions allow the mission to be achieved more effectively and efficiently.
Macomb County utilizes ITS technologies to mitigate congestion, reduce the negative impact motor vehicles have on air quality and improve safety. ITS deployments have allowed Macomb County to actively optimize traffic operations, monitor traffic flow patterns and disseminate information to the public, all of which is done from one facility that is integrated with three other county departments.
The interdepartmental collaboration aides the community through ITS deployments during the response and management of first responders and emergency management. ITS technology has been deployed and is expanding rapidly throughout the county in the realm of connected-vehicle applications, providing benefits such as red-light-violation warnings, priority/preemption and Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) dissemination.
What are your favorite benefits of ITS Michigan:
ITS Michigan provides collaboration, innovative means to resolve issues in transportation and institutional knowledge of barriers to deployment. Each variable that is overcome advances the operational network of Macomb County’s roadway system.
Collaboration between Macomb County and other members generates dialog with those who share a common border or interest and individuals with new and innovative ideas about how congestion can be alleviated.
The available presentations, webinars, and workshops provide information on new technological advances that are available in ITS. Expanding beyond just presentations are discussions amongst a wide variety of professionals, from other municipalities to consultants to vehicle manufacturers. The knowledge and varying ideas that are generated expand the realm of potential implementations that could be provided on our roadways.
What excites you most about ITS and the future of the ITS industry?
The transportation world is transforming through the continued progression and implementation of ITS technologies. Developments, such as connected and automated vehicles, may drastically alter the current mobility decisions that the community is making. Solutions implemented today to alleviate delays may not be the same tomorrow. Such variation and evolution in mobility is exciting and made possible through advancements in the ITS sector.