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AACREDITUNION.ORG | 15 in incrementally smaller steps, that's already happening, too. It's hard because most infra- structure is operated by public agencies with limited resources. They are seeking to invest in the "right" technology. Christopher Poe, assistant director at Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), works with civil leaders on the right technology to help serve their citizens and increase transpor- tation safety. And the data collected by con- nected cars can help direct the development of the next infrastructure. "We are encouraging public agencies to fi nd out how to use technology, showing them that con- nected/automated vehicle environment has benefi ts for their citizens," Poe said. "A smart infrastructure can provide these agencies infor- mation about commuters and transportation. They can then use that data to fi nd applications that help them directly and indirectly cut the cost of services they deliver to their communities." In the last year, the city of Frisco, Texas, launched vehicle-to-infrastructure programs to alleviate traffi c and improve safety. Frisco is the fi rst city in Texas, second city in the U.S., to implement technologies allowing traffi c signals to "talk" to vehicles. More than 120 traffi c sig- nals stream real-time data to Traffi c Technol- ogy Services, a third-party company that uses the information to predict when signals change from red to green. Citizens who drive an Audi equipped with the car company's Traffi c Light Information feature can see that information in real time and chose routes accordingly. Brian Moen, the city's assistant director of Engineering Services/Transportation, says it's a start. "This program is ultimately a building block for the future of what you will see in infrastructure connectivity," Moen said. " We know that it will help reduce congestion, but we believe it will help with safety, too." The results and data collected also help deter- mine the direction of future programs that the city invests in. Poe said the advantage in these types of pro- grams, where alerting even a small percentage of drivers on the road, helps the whole driving com- munity … and that drivers should expect to see it affect their commute — whether it's travel con- gestion or comfort or safety — more and more. TTI is currently testing a wrong-way driving detection and mitigation program that would send an alert to the wrong way driver, approach- ing vehicles and law enforcement. An average of 240 wrong-way driving crashes occur in Texas each year, and while Poe says that might seem to be a low number, these accidents are horrifi c and devastating. If alerting oncoming traffi c of an incident gives them the ability to react and gives law enforcement a chance to get on top of the situation. In 2017, 21 million connected vehicles were trucking down the road. By 2020, that num- ber is projected to increase more than tenfold. Gartner is even projecting 250 million cars on the roads will have automated capabilities in just three years. While that's only a fraction of the current driving population, the use of trans- port telematics and data will be a benefi t to all of us behind the wheel. JENNIFER ROBERTSON NORRIS has written for The Dallas Morning News, 360 West and Lights magazine. She loves the idea of skipping red lights, but she loves a long drive taking the back roads more. American Airlines Credit Union Looking to buy a new car with the latest in drive- assist technology? American Airlines Credit Union is ready to help you put your dream in drive. To fi nd out more about special loan offers, check out the ad on the inside back cover.