Opticom’s Positive Effect on Snowplows

The state of Minnesota has recorded snowfall in every month but July, so plowing snow effectively matters. But while the St. Cloud (MN) Public Works Dept. suspected that priority control might have utility beyond fire and police, little was known about how well priority control would function or what efficiencies and safety benefits might be gained by other uses.

So, St. Cloud was granted an exemption from the Minnesota Department of Transportation to conduct a study of Opticom for snowplows. Leveraging its existing intersection infrastructure, the pilot tested relative priority on four snowplows at seven intersections over a period of five years.

Data was collected and shared with a statistics group at St. Cloud State University for an impartial analysis to determine the effects of Opticom priority control on snowplow efficiency. Ultimately, they found that routes with Opticom were plowed 4.25 minutes faster than those without Opticom, a driving time savings of 22 percent.

For more detail, read the City of St. Cloud’s case study or fill out the form to contact GTT.