Council accepts KDOT grant to add signal priority technology for emergency vehicles

The Andover City Council voted unanimously to accept a Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Innovative Technology grant to deploy roadside signal-priority units (RSUs) and vehicle equipment designed to provide signal preemption and improved intersection safety for emergency response vehicles.

Rick Landes, director of public works and utilities, told the council the system will let a responding fire truck communicate its GPS location to equipped traffic signals so the signal can change to green ahead of the vehicle. The immediate project scope covers key intersections near Highway 54 and other corridors (Douglas at 54, Cloud and Harry, and a possible addition of Yorktown), and the city will phase further intersections later.

The expected total project cost is about $425,000. KDOT’s grant award will cover $320,000 of the cost. The city’s local share is approximately $105,000, of which the fire department will contribute $30,000 and the city's street improvement fund will cover $75,000. Staff said vehicle equipment costs are a substantial portion of the project expense; the initial deployment will equip fire apparatus, with potential future expansion to other city vehicles or shared-agency vehicles after operational testing and interagency agreements.

Councilmembers welcomed the grant as a public-safety improvement. “This is amazing technology,” one councilmember said, praising staff for obtaining the grant. Staff noted the system selected is the same platform used by Wichita, which may allow interoperability with neighboring communities.

Council voted to accept the grant and authorized the mayor to sign the grant acceptance agreement.