Motor City Electric Technologies Installs Advanced ITS Tools
As talk of autonomous vehicles heats up, another technology is quietly transforming how we move: Connected Vehicles (CVs). Unlike AVs that operate independently, connected vehicles use integrated or aftermarket tech to continuously exchange data with roads, traffic systems, and even smartphones. This real-time communication helps improve safety, mobility, and traffic management by giving drivers and infrastructure the ability to anticipate and react, before a crash or delay happens.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has already shifted its focus from helping people survive crashes to preventing crashes altogether, with CVs playing a central role. These technologies promise not only to save lives but also to increase efficiency, cut congestion, and improve the daily travel experience.
A Smarter Transportation System for Macomb County
Motor City Electric Technologies (MCET) is playing a key role in Macomb County’s investment in a more intelligent road system. Recently awarded a contract to deliver a new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), MCET is deploying hundreds of Roadside Units (RSUs) and Wi-Fi vehicle detectors across more than 100 MDOT locations. These installations are wired back to traffic signal cabinets and connected to the county’s existing wireless network, creating an integrated system that supports real-time data sharing between vehicles and infrastructure.
The upgraded infrastructure connects to MDOT’s Data Use Analysis and Processing (DUAP) program and the Macomb County Communications and Technology Center (COMTEC) in Mount Clemens. RSUs will broadcast Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) data and Geometric Intersection Description (GID/MAP) files to guide smarter, safer driving decisions in real time.
Macomb County
2013
$13.5 Million
What the Tech Actually Does
Connected vehicle infrastructure isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a coordinated system of high-speed communication between vehicles, roads, and devices designed to make traffic safer and smarter. ITS can reduce delays, adapt signals for first responders, and help prevent crashes before they happen. For drivers, it means fewer red lights, real-time detour options, and alerts when hazards or congestion are ahead. For pedestrians and cyclists, it means technology that actually “sees” them and protects them.
For example, RSUs installed by MCET can broadcast safety messages to vehicles, prioritize buses at intersections, and even alert nearby pedestrians through their smartphones. These units are able to convert Basic Safety Messages (BSMs) into Wi-Fi signals, which pedestrian devices can interpret to avoid collisions.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi vehicle detectors continuously monitor intersection activity and provide highly accurate traffic data. This passive data collection offers a privacy-safe way to track congestion and make adjustments that ease travel for everyone on the road.
A County-Wide Communications Hub
All of this data flows into COMTEC, Macomb County’s 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art operations center. Opened in 2013, the $13.5 million facility centralizes the county’s emergency dispatch, road operations, IT, and data management. It serves as the nerve center for integrating all this infrastructure—and for responding quickly when something goes wrong.
Understanding the Acronyms
The connected vehicle ecosystem comes with a lot of acronyms. Here are a few of the key ones behind MCET’s project:
DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications): Enables fast, secure vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.
RSU (Roadside Unit): Devices that exchange information with passing vehicles and traffic systems.
SPaT (Signal Phase and Timing): Tells vehicles how long a light will stay green or red.
GID (Geometric Intersection Description): Provides digital maps of intersections so vehicles can navigate them safely.
DUAP (Data Use Analysis and Processing): MDOT’s program to interpret connected vehicle data and improve system operations.
CICAS (Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance System): A broader initiative that uses all these technologies to help drivers avoid dangerous intersections.
Why It Matters
This project in Macomb County is helping to build the next generation of transportation infrastructure, one where the roads, signals, and vehicles all work together. It’s a model for how technology can make travel safer, smarter, and more responsive. And with MCET leading the ITS installation, that future is already under construction.
