The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) has installed 80 Autodome IP starlight 7000i cameras from Bosch as part of its most recent modernization efforts that replaced analog roadside cameras used to monitor traffic flow and conditions. Installed on 50 to 80 foot poles along the turnpike, the cameras help employees in the PTC’s Traffic Operations Center to fulfill their mission to quickly identify roadway incidents, disseminate information to the public and dispatch the appropriate resources to provide a rapid response to customers in need. The new HD cameras provide the center with higher quality images, especially at night.

The PTC manages and responds to traffic over its 552-mile roadway system, which typically serves 500,000 customers each day. The PTC’s mission is to provide a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce. 

Needing a technology partner, the PTC selected traffic control and management solution provider Signal Service Inc. to implement the system upgrade to Bosch Autodome IP cameras that are designed for intelligent transportation system applications. The cameras are NEMA TS2-rated for transportation environments and offer H.265 compression to reduce bandwidth consumption. Signal Service worked with the PTC’s networking consultant to ensure the Bosch Autodome IP cameras would meet stringent data security and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) compliance requirements. 

Upgrading the infrastructure to IP enabled the PTC to eliminate the need for video encoders and to use PoE midspan injectors, resulting in reduced maintenance requirements and costs for the system. Signal Service also replaced the camera lowering technology from MG Squared (MG2) to install the latest MG2 CAT6a Ethernet Lowering Devices. 

“The project was completed on time and on budget,” said Stephen Dowdall, director, Intelligent Transportation Services (ITS) for Signal Service Inc. “Through accurate planning and working closely with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, we finished the project in a timely manner despite challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The IP cameras integrate seamlessly with the PTC’s recently upgraded video management software, Genetec Security Center. This integration also supports advanced features of the Autodome IP cameras, such as built-in Intelligent Video Analytics.