Emergency Vehicle Pilot Aims to Reduce First Responder Travel Time

LYT, a connected traffic technology company, has entered a new partnership with the City of Elk Grove in California to test its emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) solution, designed to improve emergency vehicle safety and reduce travel time for first responders.

The technology works by preemptively alerting traffic lights to the presence of emergency vehicles, adjusting the lights to clear the roads and helping them rapidly reach the emergency scene. 

It takes into account real-time congestion and traffic patterns, adjusting traffic signals accordingly.

The solution uses a single secure edge device installed in traffic management centers, which enables emergency vehicles to communicate directly with networked traffic signals through the LYT.speed cloud platform.

"Reliable and effective emergency vehicle preemption technology is essential in ensuring the safety and well-being of the entire Elk Grove community,” said Tim Menard, LYT’s CEO. “In emergency situations, where every second counts…The need to implement and maintain reliable preemption technology is paramount.

“It's not just about facilitating quicker response times for our emergency responders; it's about saving lives and prioritizing the safety and security of local residents." 

Related:Ford Testing Smart Traffic Lights for Emergency Vehicles

The project will first be rolled out across 43 traffic signals along Laguna Boulevard, Bond Road, and Elk Grove Boulevard. 

The project comes on the heels of LYT’s pilot project in Tempe, Arizona to trial its emergency vehicle preemption solution.

In February, the company announced the launch of a travel analytics portal to help monitor and improve traffic flow in heavily trafficked corridors. 

LYT said the platform is designed to operate “like an airport control tower”, using AI and machine learning to learn traffic patterns over time and sync the flow of vehicles on the ground.