The Connecticut Department of Transportation recently formed what it calls an “innovation partnership” with The Ray – a corporate venture engaged in technology testing along an 18-mile-long strip of I-85 in Georgia – to implement “transformative solutions” that aim to improve the safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of Connecticut’s transportation network.
[Above image by The Ray]
The agreement – which runs through December 31, 2027, with a potential one-year extension – outlines collaborative efforts in research, policy development, and technology deployment. The Ray and CTDOT will also provide educational materials, technical assistance, and facilitate partnerships to promote transportation innovation statewide.
The initial phase of this partnership will focus on deploying solar installations within CTDOT’s right-of-way or ROW to generate alternative energy, piloting advanced technologies to improve road user safety, and advancing smart infrastructure to support connected and automated vehicles to improve traffic flow.
The Ray said those initial efforts are underway with joint planning and pilot projects continuing through 2026 and 2027.
“Connecticut is leading the way in reimagining transportation infrastructure to meet the demands of a smarter, more connected future,” noted Garrett Eucalitto, CTDOT commissioner and immediate past president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, in a statement.
“By leveraging new technologies and innovative strategies, we’re building a transportation system that works better for everyone today and for future generations,” he said.
The Ray has been forming partnerships with both public and private entities over the last several years to test a wide variety of transportation technologies.
In 2019, for example, The Ray joined forces with the Georgia Department of Transportation and Panasonic to begin testing a vehicle-to-everything or V2X data “ecosystem” designed to improve roadway safety, reduce traffic congestion, and improve organizational efficiency.
By leveraging the “CIRRUS by Panasonic” data management platform, the Georgia DOT will gain trial access over a period of two years to a V2X ecosystem that constant real-time information from The Ray highway and transmits critical roadway information between state traffic roadway operators and vehicles equipped with V2X technology.
With an open development platform, the system can further enable advanced mobility solutions such as autonomous driving and freight platooning, and is built to capture the long tail of innovation with an endless number of transportation applications utilizing V2X technology
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