Smart Intersection Pilot in College Station, Texas Achieved 99 Percent Accuracy Detecting Equipped Buses and Increased Pedestrian/Bicyclist Perception of Safety up to 88 Percent.

METHODOLOGY

TTI researchers conducted detailed assessments of the existing traffic signal system and pedestrian equipment at each of the five intersections. The need for new and upgraded C-V2X equipment was identified based on the bus turning movements at each intersection.

The equipment included RSUs, OBUs, Polara pedestrian detection system, LED Bus signs, traffic signal controllers, Bosch cameras, and other equipment. Two Iteris RSUs and three Yunex RSUs were procured. TTI researchers worked with the RSU vendors and the City of College Station on the installations. The City staff completed the field work for the equipment installations.

Technologies tested included bus-to-infrastructure alerts, illuminated bus-turning signage, audible warnings, camera (machine vision) pedestrian detection, and a smartphone navigation app for blind/low-vision (B/LV) pedestrians that provided audible and tactile alerts as they approached intersections.

• RSUs/OBUs Assessment:
  • Continuous log files of data collected at the five intersections captured bus detection events, signal cycles, and alert activations from Nov 2024 to Feb 2025.
• Pedestrian and Bicyclist Surveys:
  • IRB-approved intercept surveys conducted at intersections with active technology.
  • 292 respondents (Nov 2024) and 69 respondents (Feb 2025) representing pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter users.
• Bus Operator Survey:
  • Online survey (57 responses) were conducted in Mar 2025 with operators serving pilot routes.
• B/LV Smartphone App Testing:
  • Four structured interviews (June 2024) plus six live testers (3 B/LV, 3 typical-vision) at intersections (Feb 2025).
  • Samp sizes for B/LV surveys were limited due to the pilot-scale deployment.
• Automated Shuttle and Fire Truck Simulations:
  • Simulated with OBU-equipped TTI vehicle and College Station fire truck.
  • Logged SPaT, MAP, TIM, SRM/SSM messages at standard frequencies (10Hz, 1Hz).
  • Confirmed interoperability; validated by Beep shuttle operator review.
• Crash Data:
  • TxDOT CRIS database reviewed for 12 months pre-pilot vs. 4-month demonstration.
  • No relevant crashes occurred during either period.

FINDINGS

• RSUs/OBUs Performance Testing: Four months of data confirmed 99 percent detection accuracy, demonstrating technical reliability.
• Pedestrian and Bicyclist Surveys: 88 percent of interviewed pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter users said the alerts would be helpful for all or some people crossing. 62 to 77 percent noticed the alerts; 52 to 62 percent found them directly helpful; 86 to 88 percent agreed alerts would be helpful for all or some users.
• Bus Operator Survey: Bus operators provided positive feedback on both audio and visual alerts.78 percent said signs helped alert pedestrians; 67 percent valued audio alerts.
• B/LV Smartphone App Testing: A B/LV smartphone app was successfully tested with positive feedback on audible