The city of Walnut Creek in California announced a new traffic app that alerts drivers when the light is changing from red to green.
The app plays audio to remind the driver to pay attention just before a red traffic light changes to green. It also counts down to when the light will turn green. The app was developed to help keep drivers to increase driving safety, increase fuel efficiency, and improve the flow of traffic.
The app allows for choosing the sound such as train whistle, jazz, strum, whistling, whoosh, zing or a simple bell.
The EnLighten app also offers a countdown to the light change in the road ahead to let drivers know if they will make through the next light.
The EnLighten app that available for Android or iPhone users and receives signals from the 100 traffic lights in the city of Walnut Grove.
When drivers are outside of EnLighten’s coverage area, the home screen is replaced with the “Out of Coverage Area” screen.
The city says that the functionality requires no driver involvement and conforms to local laws with regard to cell phone use while driving.
The app is expected to help smooth traffic, while encouraging drivers to be attentive at busy intersections. It is one of the first steps towards vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication in Contra Costa county.
Owners of recent-model BMWs equipped with BMW Apps can use enhanced EnLighten features in their vehicle’s center console. The EnLighten service is currently available in
- Portland/Eugene, Oregon.
- Garland, Texas.
- Most of Utah.
- Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Walnut Creek and Arcadia, California.
The Enlighten app will be deployed in Overland Park, Kansas soon and Palo Alto this summer.
The EnLightened software is developed by Connected Signals (originally, Green Driver) in Portland, Oregon. Connected Signals uses existing infrastructure to communicate with traffic controllers and the apps.
Another service, Connected Signals is developing, warns drivers when they or another connected vehicle, are about to run a red light as well as vehicle powertrain optimization based on the state of upcoming lights.