The Ray Expands Intelligent Infrastructure Through "Connected" Highway Initiative
Key Takeaways:
Advanced Safety Technology: Expanding vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities to drastically reduce traffic crashes and improve emergency response times.
Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnership: Teaming up with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), Panasonic, Kia Georgia, and the Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI).
Regional Scale: Upgrading the deployment to include 13 roadside radios and integrating the CIRRUS by Panasonic platform for centralized data management.
Over the last five years, the private sector has invested heavily in connected, autonomous, and electric mobility systems. This acceleration comes in response to industry-wide shifts toward connected vehicle architectures and the urgent need to address highway safety and reduce traffic fatalities.
With the introduction of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, transportation agencies have an unprecedented opportunity to upgrade roadway safety capabilities. Officials with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) have noted that connected and autonomous vehicle technology holds the potential to eliminate or avoid up to 80 to 90 percent of traffic crashes, significantly protecting drivers and saving lives.
Scaling the "Connected" Highway Initiative
The Ray, GDOT, and Panasonic have spearheaded this highway safety technology through the expansion of our "Connected" Highway project along Interstate 85. Launched to establish a digital testing environment for critical interstate use cases—such as real-time crash and weather warnings—the initiative has rapidly scaled its operational footprint.
Phase One: Focused on an 18-mile stretch of The Ray Highway, deploying six roadside radios and outfitting four GDOT service trucks with compatible communication units.
Phase Two: Nearly triples the project’s breadth to 13 roadside radios, introduces dedicated work zone safety warnings, and integrates ten connected passenger vehicles from Kia Georgia.
Powerful Industry Partnerships
This second phase marks a major milestone as GDOT, The Ray, and Panasonic formally partner with Kia Georgia and the Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI). This collaboration represents the first original equipment manufacturer (OEM) engagement in the state’s nationally recognized connected vehicle project.
Furthermore, the project team announced that the metro Atlanta V2X technology ecosystem will now utilize the CIRRUS by Panasonic data management platform. This transition expands Georgia's V2X capabilities from a localized interstate pilot into a fully realized, regional framework for optimized traffic safety and efficient operational movement.
