Michigan's push to enhance road safety is taking a high-tech turn, with thermal cameras set to be installed on select transit vehicles to prevent crashes involving pedestrians, bicyclists, and even deer. This initiative, supported by a $551,732 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), aims to address the rising number of accidents; pedestrian-involved crashes leaped by 11%, reaching 2,114 incidents in 2023, while bicycle-involved crashes saw a 10% increase with 1,480 crashes, as reported by Michigan State Police.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has selected several partner agencies for this project, including the Blue Water Area Transit, the City of Alma, the Community Action Agency of South Central Michigan, and the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA). As per ClickOnDetroit, Jean Ruestman, MDOT Office of Passenger Transportation administrator, expressed enthusiasm, stating, "We are very pleased to have received this grant from our federal partners to improve safety, which ultimately could be a game-changer for public transit agencies across the country."
Thermal cameras, which provide superior visibility in various lighting and environmental conditions, will be trialed on 60 transit vehicles, comprising vans and large motorcoaches. Brett Baublitz, Alma Transit Center transportation director, told ClickOnDetroit of the potential impact on safety: "As a college town and a multimodal community with pedestrians, bicyclists and an ever-growing population of electric bicycles, unleashing this new technology will help prevent pedestrian/vehicle conflicts and save lives."
Moreover, the detection of wildlife, particularly the region's abundant whitetail deer, is another benefit that Baublitz underscored. Collision avoidance will not only protect lives but also reduce vehicle damages and downtime, enhancing fleet availability for riders. Among the project partners are Magna Electronics Ltd., the producer of the thermal imaging cameras, Lynred, the manufacturer of the sensors, and Menlo Innovations, a software company tasked with evaluating the technology's efficacy, according to details provided by the Michigan Department of Transportation’s press release.
