Connected Traffic Intelligence (CTI), co-founded by University of Michigan (U-M) postdoctoral researcher Zachary Jerome and Henry Liu, director of U-M’s Transportation Research Institute and the Center for Connected and Automated Transportation, is a mobility technology startup helping municipalities modernize traffic signal management through connected vehicle data. By leveraging GPS data from connected vehicles, CTI delivers scalable, data-driven alternative to traditional traffic detection systems, enabling continuous monitoring and more efficient traffic signal retiming.
The Challenge with Traditional Traffic Signal Timing
For decades, most traffic signals have operated on preset, time-of-day plans that were programmed years ago and no longer reflect current traffic patterns. Retiming those signals is expensive and slow. A single traffic study can cost approximately $4,500 per intersection and take up to six months to complete. Fully adaptive signal systems, which depend on infrastructure-based sensors, can run as high as $50,000 per intersection to install.
As a result, municipalities lack the resources to keep signal timing up to date, leaving drivers to experience unnecessary stops, delays, and longer commute times. Over time, these inefficiencies impact not only individual drivers but also broader economic development and overall quality of life within a community.
How CTI Uses Connected Vehicle Data
CTI replaces outdated infrastructure-heavy approaches with a more agile solution powered by connected vehicle GPS data. This technology provides municipalities with a continuous, real-time view of traffic flow across intersections and corridors.
With this data, traffic signals can be optimized and retimed every few weeks instead of every few years. The result is a more responsive system that adapts to changing traffic patterns without the need for costly installations.
Proven Results in Michigan
The technology CTI utilizes was developed at U-M and demonstrated strong results in an initial pilot study in Birmingham, Michigan, reducing stops at signalized intersections by 20 to 30 percent. Through a partnership with the Road Commission of Oakland County and a $1.4 million Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, U-M then expanded its analysis to approximately 1,400 intersections across the county in an 18-month deployment. At one corridor in Farmington Hills, the technology produced a 30 percent drop in delays and a 40 percent drop in stops. Across thousands of daily commuters, those savings translate into meaningful time savings, reduced congestion, and a more efficient transportation network.
Supporting Innovation Through MiSpringboard
Since joining Varnum’s MiSpringboard program, the firm has provided ongoing legal support to CTI, including evaluating and negotiating contract terms, analyzing risks, and developing a strategy for potential issues. The Varnum team advising CTI is led by Mobility and Regulatory partner Sara Bennett and includes Matt Bower, Maria Gedris, and Peyton Rayburn.
Launched in 2011, the MiSpringboard program was created to remove barriers associated with starting a business by providing free legal services to startups. To date, Varnum has assisted 1,000 clients through the program.
