UDOT expands V2X 'Connecting the West' program, touts safety and transit benefits

Blaine Leonard, UDOT transportation technology engineer, presented the department’s V2X deployment and the "Connecting the West" expansion supported by federal Accelerating V2X grants. Leonard described roadside units (RSUs) mounted on signal poles, onboard units installed in fleets, and the short‑range radio messages exchanged every tenth of a second that can support safety, transit performance and traveler information.

"We view this as a tool that we can use to reduce crashes and save lives. We often call it a digital seat belt," Leonard said, framing the long‑term safety objective. He told the committee the current grant will add roughly 480 RSUs at intersections (bringing the statewide total to about 1,230 RSUs at state‑owned signals) and add onboard units to about 215 additional fleet vehicles, producing roughly 740 fleet vehicles statewide with equipment for signal priority and preemption.

Leonard described field use cases already in operation: transit signal priority that can improve schedule adherence by roughly 6 percent; snowplow and emergency‑vehicle preemption (citing a Brigham City ambulance crash that led to a request for preemption equipment); and pilot pedestrian detection at selected crosswalks. He emphasized interoperability across jurisdictions and cross‑state coordination with Colorado and Wyoming to create a continuous corridor of equipped freeway segments.

Committee members asked about data privacy and standards; Leonard said the vehicle messages are anonymous (location, heading, speed and event status but not VIN or license plate) and that the system follows national V2X standards. He also explained options for cities that already use proprietary preemption systems and how grant funding affects local upgrade costs.

Follow up: UDOT will continue to expand RSUs and onboard units under the grant and coordinate with city partners on signal upgrades, preemption options and pilot deployments.