One of the USA’s largest manufacturers, distributor and service provider of traffic and parking control products, Traffic and Parking Control Company Inc. (TAPCO), has launched two new products at the ITS America Annual Meeting and Expo taking place from June 4-7, in Detroit, Michigan.
Widely seen as an industry-leading innovator, TAPCO has been manufacturing and distributing a wide portfolio of traffic and parking safety systems from its Wisconsin headquarters since 1956. The company designs and delivers reliable, cutting-edge traffic safety enhancements, including a world-renowned line of LED-enhanced BlinkerSign systems and pedestrian crossing products. At the ITS America event, TAPCO is unveiling two new products:
• A solar-powered top-of-pole self-contained control cabinet, which features 44Ah of battery power to support XAV2-LED pushbuttons – a TAPCO industry exclusive. To simplify ordering and installation, the cabinet also includes a universal mounting bracket that accommodates all sizes of commonly used metal or wood posts. Featuring an integrated 20W solar panel, the powder-coated aluminum cabinet is designed for quick installation and a clean appearance;
• Dimmable Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) light bars, which comply with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Interim Approval 21 recommendation. The new RRFB light bars include integrated, simple-to-deploy pedestrian indicators on both sides of the bar to adapt to every use case, as well as a new, universal mounting bracket that provides road-side adjustability and accommodates all sizes of commonly used metal or wood posts to simplify ordering and installation.
“Our pedestrian crosswalk systems have become an integral solution for agencies and road operators who demand innovation in both product design and installation ease,” said Jon Zick, director of engineering and marketing at TAPCO. “The introduction of these products solidifies us as the North American leader in pedestrian crosswalk systems. These new innovations also establish us as the only traffic control manufacturer that designs a top-of-pole, self-contained cabinet that supports XAV2-LED pushbutton activation with dimmable RRFB light bars.”
At the ITS America event, TAPCO has also been demonstrating its Wrong-Way Alert System, which Texas Transportation Institute research shows reduces wrong-way driving events by as much as 38%. During the demos, participants ride inside a vehicle and experience the driver’s perspective in a simulated wrong-way driving event, observing LED-enhanced warning alerts and other functions performed by the system. Participants then see the traffic manager’s perspective of the company’s Wrong-Way Alert System as notifications arrive to a user’s screen via email, voice or text message, alerting the recipient of a wrong-way incident.
Lindsay Lau, TAPCO’s director of sales, commented, “The ITS America Annual Meeting offers a unique opportunity for us to showcase our end-to-end solution for traffic professionals battling wrong-way driving on a daily basis. More than 200 systems have been deployed across 17 states nationwide, and seeing first-hand how the system detects vehicles, alerts drivers, and notifies the proper officials of an active wrong-way incident, will be valuable for agencies searching for an innovative solution to deter wrong-way drivers.”
