Kyle Police Department Deploys Opticom Traffic Signal Preemption Technology

KYLE, TEXAS –– The Kyle Police Department is integrating innovative traffic solutions that decrease congestion and focus on the safety of first responders while improving response times by selecting Global Traffic Technologies (GTT), Opticom Cloud Platform for emergency vehicle preemption.   

The Opticom Cloud Platform is proven to decrease incident response times while improving safety for first responders. The technology utilizes advanced algorithms to determine vehicle status. It sends that data to compatible intersections to make signal phasing requests, granting emergency responders the right-of-way to pass through an intersection. The system simultaneously reduces traffic flow on side streets, resulting in decreased response times, improved intersection safety, and saved lives.  

“We are happy to see this smart traffic system in use in Kyle. It is a life-saving resource for our community members and our officers,” Kyle Police Chief Jeff Barnett said. “We hope to grow the solution as results continue to measure up to serve the community more safely and effectively.”  

The Kyle Police Department initially purchased the Opticom Cloud Platform for 19 intersections and 50 vehicles. Soon after that, the Kyle Fire Department opted to join the system, adding 15 fire units. San Marcos Hays County EMS, who previously purchased GTT’s Opticom GPS system, could also use their existing equipment to opt-in, adding 22 ambulances aiding in hospital transports regionally. Police and emergency response vehicles will be equipped with intelligent devices that send a signal to the Opticom Cloud Platform. These transferable devices allow them to seamlessly move from one vehicle to another as they rotate their fleets. The Kyle Police Department, Kyle Fire Department, and San Marcos Hays County EMS are all enabled to use this technology.   

While this technology aims to increase safety and response times for first responders, community members are reminded that they also play a role in this effort. Texas drivers can do their part to keep these workers safe by following the state’s “Move Over or Slow Down” law. This law requires drivers to move over a lane or slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit when approaching emergency vehicles, law enforcement, tow trucks, utility service vehicles, TxDOT vehicles, or other highway construction or maintenance vehicles using visual signals or flashing lights activated on the roadside. Drivers who fail to follow the law can face a ticket with a fine of up to $200. If a crash occurs that causes injury to a worker, drivers can be fined up to $2,000.  

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About Global Traffic Technologies   

Global Traffic Technologies is the most trusted name in the traffic management industry, with a 58-year history of unrivaled innovation and leadership. Opticom™, its flagship product, dominates the world's leading provider of priority control solutions, with the largest breadth of deployment in North America - nearly 180,000 intersections and vehicles enabled. These impressive statistics reflect the unwavering reliability and unmatched effectiveness of Opticom's technology. Learn more, visit gtt.com.   

About City of Kyle 

The City of Kyle is located in the heart of the I-35 Innovation Corridor, just 26 miles south of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport & 50 miles north of San Antonio International Airport. Kyle is the second largest city in Hays County and is poised to become the largest — with a population that grew from 5,000 citizens in 2000 to just over 50,000 in 2020. We are the designated Pie Capital of Texas and home of the annual Pie in the Sky Hot Air Balloon Festival. For more information, go to CityofKyle.com.