The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA), working with Battelle, is launching a six-month project to evaluate enhanced safety systems on buses. With a grant from the Federal Transit Administration, GCRTA will test cutting-edge safety technology in 24 buses retrofitted with so-called “connected” features to better avoid collisions.

The agency installed the Enhanced Transit Safety Retrofit Package system over the past several months and will debut it on RTA buses at three locations in Downtown Cleveland.

During the evaluation phase, connected buses will collect data to evaluate system performance, safety impacts, and lessons learned. By reducing bus collisions with pedestrians and other vehicles, the technology can prevent accidents and fatalities, reduce transit operator costs, and decrease travel interruptions.

The system improves safety by notifying the bus driver when a pedestrian is in or about to enter a crosswalk in the path of the bus. The system also notifies the bus driver when another connected vehicle is turning in front of the bus as it pulls away from a stop.

The technology project uses dedicated short-range communications radio for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, Global Positioning System for vehicle tracking, and forward looking infrared cameras for pedestrian detection.