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Smarter Traffic Signals: Reducing Response Times and Improving Transit Reliability

Emergency and transit vehicles using traffic signal preemption technology in 2024 saw reduced travel times and fewer delays at intersections, highlighting its potential impact on public safety and transportation efficiency.

Smarter Traffic Signals: Reducing Response Times and Improving Transit Reliability

The Marietta Fire Department has been using traffic signal preemption technology to improve response times and enhance safety for both firefighters and the public.

Photo: Marietta Fire | Applied Information

2 min to read


Emergency vehicles equipped with Applied Information’s Glance preemption system made over 1.3 million emergency trips in 2024, resulting in more than 4.3 million green lights given while responding. In excess of 13,000 hours of travel time were saved by fire, ambulance, and police vehicles equipped with Glance based on fleet-wide averages.

While reducing response times by a reported average of 18%, the Glance system is additionally designed to reduce accidents involving emergency vehicles and the public. Glance does this by providing the emergency vehicle a series of green lights in the direction of travel and bringing all other traffic to a halt. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 19,225 collisions involved fire department emergency vehicles in 2023, resulting in 1,450 injuries.

"In addition to the time savings, our responses are safer for our firefighters and the public," said Tim Milligan, Marietta, Georgia Fire Chief. "Having all opposing traffic stopped by the time the fire apparatus arrives at an intersection eliminates the potential for accidents, which we see demonstrated daily."

Transit Signal Priority and Traffic Signals

Public transportation buses equipped with Glance Transit Signal Priority (TSP) made 5.1 million trips in 2024 and avoided 9 million unscheduled stops at traffic signals.

Greater Portland Metro buses use transit signal priority technology to improve travel efficiency and enhance reliability for public transportation riders.

Photo: Portland Metro | Applied Information

According to various studies, TSP increases on-time performance, reduces fuel consumption and emissions, reduces driver workload, and improves traffic flow in the direction of bus travel, all while generally going unnoticed by side street motorists.

"Glance Transit Signal Priority helps to provide more reliable on-time performance, which makes for a better commuting experience for our customers," said Mike Tremblay, Director of Transit Development, Greater Portland Metro in Portland, Maine. "Additionally, our vehicles."

How TSP Works: Shortening Light Time

Glance TSP is designed to avoid unscheduled stops by shortening the time of red lights, or extending the green light until the bus can pass through the intersection. Glance TSP works on buses with a supplied vehicle communications unit or can be virtual by using an existing Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system.

Glance is used by more than 1,450 transportation agencies across North America.

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