Officials this week held a ribbon cutting for the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor—which is considered to be "the world’s most connected highway"— in central Ohio.
The corridor runs from the City of Dublin on the east end through the City of Marysville, past industry partner Honda's manufacturing and vehicle development operations, and concludes at the gates of the Transportation Research Center (TRC) Inc. in East Liberty, Ohio, according to a press release from DriveOhio.
Project partners include the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), DriveOhio, U.S. Department of Transportation, Logan County, and the NW 33 Council of Governments (COG)—which includes the City of Dublin, the City of Marysville, Union County, and the Marysville-Union County Port Authority.
DriveOhio says the corridor is "the premiere location for developing and testing smart mobility technology that has the potential to enhance safety, reduce congestion, and improve fuel economy."
“Transportation is evolving, and mobility technology solutions that have and will be tested on the 33 Smart Mobility Corridor will save lives," ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks said in a statement. "As we develop the transportation system of the 21st century and beyond, Ohio will continue leading the way. The partnership framework we have established during this project is a model for future programs across the state, as we work to improve the quality of life for all Ohioans.”
With a 35-mile redundant loop of fiber connectivity, the corridor includes 432 strands of available fiber, 63 roadside units, and 45 connected intersections. A route that encompasses diverse geographical and meteorological scenarios, the corridor is considered a unique asset for Ohio that differentiates the state as a one-of-a-kind vehicle testing ecosystem, DriveOhio says.
The corridor has supported the Connected Marysville and the Connected Dublin programs. The City of Marysville is the first connected city in the nation with all 29 traffic signals connected, while the Connected Dublin program features connective vehicle technology being utilized in a multi-lane roundabout. Both deployments pair connected signals, pedestrian crosswalks, and infrastructure with a vehicle’s on-board unit to communicate real-time information to the driver to better inform their driving behavior.
----------
SOURCE: DriveOhio
