In June, Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) officially pulled the plug on the last of its roadside call boxes, known as the Motorist Aid System.
While that move may seem insignificant given the prevalence of smartphones and modern cellular networks, Riverside is just the first of many California counties that will be looking for new technology to fill the legacy gap — especially in parts of the county without reliable cellular coverage.
The call boxes were first introduced to Riverside County roadways in the 1990s, but have gradually become more difficult to support and maintain while simultaneously becoming less needed as cellphones took over.
After voting to formally decommission the call box system in April, the RCTC approved a study this week to find modern replacement alternatives while also identifying associated service gaps, potential costs and funding opportunities. The 18-month study will be conducted by IFC Resources, LLC.
According to county Senior Management Analyst Hanan Sawalha, the study will be the first of its kind in the state. Other counties are also grappling with end-of-useful-life scenarios with these systems, but have not taken the next steps to identify potential replacements, Sawalha told the commission.
In short, vendors working in this area should be on the lookout for opportunities to provide their input on next-gen solutions where appropriate, as well as the outcome of the study and resultant procurements.
Given that Riverside seems to be taking a leadership role in identifying potential solutions, it stands to reason that other regional governments and transportation partners might also be interested in the study’s recommendations and any vendors tapped to implement a new system.
Riverside County to Study Next-Gen Motorist Aid, Tech Needs
With the last of its roadside emergency call boxes removed in June, the Riverside County Transportation Commission has launched a study focused on a next-generation replacement.
