Dive Brief:
- Quarterhill has secured a $2.5 million contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation to install and maintain traffic data collection sites across Northeastern Illinois, including the Chicago metropolitan area, according to a June 22 press release.
- Through the agreement, Quarterhill will deploy “Continuous Count Sites” or CSS, which are used to collect year-round data on traffic volume and vehicle types across Illinois roadways, analyze freight and passenger movement, improve safety and plan future infrastructure investments.
- The agreement carries an initial three‑year term and includes an extension option that could keep the work in place for up to 10 years.
Dive Insight:
Data collected from CCS can support IDOT’s planning, engineering and policy decisions, including efforts to analyze freight and passenger movement, improve road safety and prioritize future investment, the release said.
Unlike short-term traffic counts that provide a snapshot of traffic activity, CCS generate ongoing data that can help identify longer-term changes in commercial vehicle patterns and congestion.
More than a dozen CCS are already in operation in the Chicagoland area, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Quarterhill did not disclose how many additional sites it will install under the new agreement or on what highways they will be located.
“The future of roadway planning will be driven by reliable, data-informed transportation systems," said Chuck Myers, CEO of Quarterhill, in the release. "Our partnership with IDOT ensures that Illinois has effective traffic data to better support decisions around safety, infrastructure, and overall system performance, supporting a more connected and responsive transportation network for drivers and communities across the state.”
The IDOT award adds to a series of recent transportation technology contracts for Quarterhill in recent months. In April, the company landed three new weigh-in-motion and e-screening projects in California with a combined value of $2.4 million.
Earlier this year, Quarterhill announced it will install 15 weigh-in-motion stations through a $6.4 million investment from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The company also extended a $10.7 million contract with the Illinois Tollway to support and enhance roadside transactional systems.
