3 Industry Trends to Look for in 2018

2018 should be an intriguing year with events like the Winter Olympics, World Cup, and even a royal wedding. While most of us are still wrapping our heads around the beginning of another year, McCain has been diving excitedly into the topics and innovations that are sure to drive us into the future. Read on to learn more about the trends that will shape 2018 for the traffic industry.

Signal Performance Measures

We live in an age where we produce more data than ever before. In fact, within two years every person on the planet will create 1.7 megabytes of new information every second. With that kind of staggering data generation, it’s no wonder that nearly every industry is looking for ways to gather this information, and transportation is no exception.

In 2018, we will continue to see the deployment of ATC traffic controllers capable of distributing high-resolution event data. The collection and storage of high-resolution data enables the production of signal performance measures that promote operational efficiency and enhanced mobility. Automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs) are promoted by the FHWA Every Day Counts Initiative as a cost-effective means to utilize existing infrastructure to the greatest extent possible, while supporting the validation of other technologies, such as adaptive signal control and emerging connected vehicle applications.

Cloud-Hosted Solutions

As more and more information is made available through the collection of high-resolution event data and other sources, solutions are needed to help store and analyze that data. For this reason, more and more cloud-hosted environments will be used in 2018 and beyond to enable the storage of vast amounts of data.

Cloud-hosted solutions promote scalability, redundancy, and access. In addition, they offer many benefits in terms of advanced analytics made possible by evaluating the unprecedented quantity of data. By analyzing years of data, agencies can study seasonal trends, travel-time reliability, and system-wide performance measures. Cloud-hosting also provides an opportunity for machine learning in the form of predictions and active transportation management (ATM), whereby archived data and/or predictive methods are utilized to manage traffic flow and influence traveler behavior in real time. Click here to learn more about ATM and projects that are already in the works to improve safety, promote sustainable travel modes, reduce emissions, and maximize system efficiency.

McCain is pleased to offer a suite of solutions to support the gathering, collection, and analysis of high-resolution event data and cloud-hosted environments. If you’d like more information, please contact us.

Connected and Autonomous Vehicles

Connected and autonomous vehicles are no doubt the hottest trend of 2018. In fact, the world's largest electronics show - CES® - that took place last week in Las Vegas, dedicated an entire section to these quickly evolving technologies.

At CES, McCain joined forces with Qualcomm Technologies to demonstrate the capabilities of C-V2X technology, showcasing how CV-ready traffic equipment can inform drivers of signal countdown information and alert motorists of possible pedestrians in the roadway. While it may still be a while until cars are fully autonomous, these technologies are proving to be a crucial step along the way.

We Can't Do It Without You

As 2018 is just starting to unfold, McCain would like to take this time to thank all our partners, customers, and team members who have continued to make McCain an industry leader. We look forward to continuing to serve you and provide top-of-the-line solutions to improve mobility.