Q-Free’s adaptive solution set to reduce congestion in West Mifflin, PA

• The new suburban deployment near Pittsburgh, PA creates an adaptive signal corridor in a heavily traveled section of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
• Q-Free’s MAXTIME adaptive presented the perfect solution for its flexibility, cost efficiency and ability to integrate with existing assets.
• The customized solution automatically adjusts signal timing to increase traffic flow, improve safety, and lower emissions.

Q-Free, a global leader in mobility and smart city solutions, announced the successful deployment of an adaptive signal system in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the city of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. The project utilizes Q-Free’s celebrated MAXTIME adaptive signal control software, linking intersections along a key corridor in West Mifflin, a borough within Allegheny County just southeast of Pittsburgh. The project was uniquely designed to reduce congestion, increase efficiency and improve safety utilizing a custom solution that groups intersections during peak hours and allows them to operate individually during less congested times, all without an advanced traffic management system (ATMS).

MAXTIME adaptive uses real-time data to adjust traffic signal timing automatically, optimizing flow, reducing congestion and lowering emissions. Q-Free’s traffic engineer and project manager for the deployment, Chris Sobie, says the West Mifflin deployment validates the company’s commitment to scalability and allows agencies of all sizes to participate in the smart city revolution. “MAXTIME adaptive is equally suited to major departments of transportation, or smaller communities wanting to provide the highest quality solutions for their residents,” he said.

MAXTIME adaptive can work locally at the intersection and is installed directly on the ATC controller. It uses the controller’s processing and memory to power adaptive signal control algorithms that automatically sense traffic volume, adjusting traffic signal timing to reduce congestion and idling. The system delivers more efficient green signals and shorter wait times maximizing existing infrastructure to keep traffic moving. In this deployment, the system links nine intersections in West Mifflin to create an efficient corridor that until recently was a haven for backlogs and congestion.

“Working with PennDOT and the Borough of West Mifflin, we were able to provide a system that reduces travel times and allows residents to spend their time doing much more meaningful things than sitting in traffic,” concluded Sobie.