The Las Vegas Area Computer Traffic System (LVACTS) is designed to monitor and control the busiest junctions in the 850-square-mile urban area of the Las Vegas Valley, NV, USA. On 29 July 1997, its microwave trunk network, used to co-ordinate traffic signals, was accepted, after successfully completing a continuous 30-day system verification test. This network integrates with cable and fibre optic technologies to create a seamless solution. It is a cost-effective communications backbone that has had to meet some unique local challenges. A regional traffic management centre (TMC) co-ordinates traffic flow, traveller information, and incident detection. Information is carried between the TMC and the controlled areas by a network of terrestrial microwave links in the super-high-frequency (SHF) band. Digital sensor data and real-time video data are central to the LVACTS regional system. Its signal co-ordination project brought together radio products at 13GHz, 18GHz, and 31GHz to support different parts of the network. The equipment had to be durable enough to withstand the high winds and extreme temperature ranges of the region. Closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras provide live video feeds at critical junctions and near congested freeways; they are connected to the network by twisted pair or microwave links.
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