Q-Free continues to lead the way in intelligent transportation systems

Q-Free’s EVP of Traffic Management, Whitney Nottage, recently authored an insightful feature article titled “Driving the Future of AI in the Coachella Valley—A Blueprint for Intelligent Transportation,” published in the July-August 2025 issue of IMSA Journal, a bimonthly publication from the International Municipal Signal Association .

In the article, Whitney discusses the transformative CV Sync program, one of the most-watched regional transportation initiatives in the United States. This ambitious program is setting new standards for traffic management and smart mobility by integrating traffic operations across the entire region. At the core of the program is Q-Free’s Kinetic Mobility platform. Continue reading to learn more about one of the platforms most significant deployments to date and how the CV Sync project underscores our ongoing commitment to pioneering smarter, more connected transportation networks.

Driving the Future of AI in the Coachella Valley—A Blueprint for Intelligent Transportation

by Whitney Nottage

Ten years ago, the idea of synchronizing hundreds of traffic signals across an entire desert valley seemed as unrealistic as getting a broad group of independent agencies to play nicely together. Today, both are happening in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, thanks to the CV Sync Program. This pioneering initiative, led by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) and quarterbacked by ADVANTEC Consulting Engineers, is transforming traffic management across the region with advanced technology, AI, and real-time data solutions.

A key to the program’s success is the integration of various devices and control mechanisms across jurisdictions, allowing each agency to maintain its preferred hardware while providing CVAG with regional insights and control. Q-Free’s Kinetic Mobility platform serves as the central hub for this system, connecting all elements and stakeholders. With Kinetic Mobility, traffic problems can be addressed before or as they occur, continuously adjusting in real time to keep people moving efficiently and safely throughout the region.

But first, a little context.

You probably know the Coachella Valley for the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the nation’s largest music events, which draws about 125,000 people per day over two weekends. You may be aware of the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament at Indian Wells or the Palm Springs Film Festival. The region comprises about a dozen relatively small communities that constantly manage huge influxes of traffic.

Quite simply, managing traffic in local silos is a really bad option. So, with CV Sync, operators will work across multiple towns in eight traffic management centers and one regional traffic operations center. With Phase I complete, CV Sync is active on three corridors with plans for more than 49 at completion.

For local agencies, this system reduces the burden on traffic engineers by providing unified dashboards and AI-driven decision support tools that simplify operations and improve situational awareness. CV Sync contributes to cleaner air by minimizing idle time at intersections, which in turn helps reduce vehicle emissions across the region. As part of the region’s long-term climate action strategy, the system’s data insights will also guide smarter urban planning and public transit optimization. CV Sync is not just transforming infrastructure – it’s reshaping the valley’s traffic ecosystem into one that’s safer, greener, and more responsive to the needs of both residents and the millions of visitors who pass through the valley annually.

The Kinetic Mobility ATMS platform serves as the brain and, perhaps, the heart of the entire operation. By the end of 2026, it will manage signals at more than 460 smart intersections. Consultant Program Manager and ADVANTEC CEO Carlos Ortiz is already looking ahead to the project’s next phase.

“Phase III is now in the design stage and will complete a system of over 12,000 intelligent transportation elements from advanced detection systems to dynamic signage, video feeds, and data pipelines, all operating across a secure digital infrastructure,” he said. “What sets this program apart is its focus on interoperability, scalability, and forward compatibility. Each element is designed not only to serve today’s needs but to seamlessly evolve alongside tomorrow’s technologies, including AI, machine learning, and connected vehicle integration.”

The Kinetic Mobility platform is a flexible, modular advanced traffic management system (ATMS) that provides a unified interface for controlling traffic signals, dynamic message signs, detection systems, and more. Q-Free’s role has been to tie these elements together into a smart, adaptive, and highly responsive system. Most importantly, as technology grows and AI becomes more integrated into regional traffic networks, Kinetic Mobility will be there to provide a soft landing. Because each module offers a unique solution, clients can choose only the software they need, making it a future-proof option for agencies.

However, the key to a successful, integrated and AI-driven future lies beyond a single company’s offerings. One of our core principles is interoperability. International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) members may remember the “FREEtheMIBS campaign” that was launched to encourage vendors to share proprietary language (Management Information Bases) that often prevented equipment from competing vendors from working together. That campaign attracted members from multiple agencies across the nation as well as the majority of America’s traffic controller manufacturers. That’s a perfect segue in Kinetic Mobility, where every module is built on an open architecture that ensures compatibility with both legacy infrastructure and emerging technologies, supporting an agile, long-term vision that embraces new technology, particularly AI.

While intelligent infrastructure forms the foundation, it’s AI that will elevate CV Sync from a smart system to a learning one. Together with ADVANTEC, we are exploring how generative AI and machine learning can be integrated into the program to manage the more than 400 signal synchronization plans needed to support daily traffic as well as unpredictable special events and weather incidents.

So, what does this all mean to the people who control roads in the Coachella Valley and the music fans, tennis appreciators, film lovers, tourists, and residents who drive on them?

In a word, mobility. In a sentence, CV Sync will improve lives.

Because the partner agencies will have access to common traffic information, they’ll be able to anticipate congestion and take steps to manage it before it becomes an issue. They’ll be able to plan for events as a region but still act individually in real time, benefiting each community and the driving public.

As we look ahead to the completion of Phase II and beyond, it’s clear that the CV Sync program is considerably more than an infrastructure project. It’s an important platform for innovation.

With apologies to Las Vegas, what happens in the Coachella Valley won’t stay in the Coachella Valley because agencies, consultants, vendors, and legislators are all watching, looking for clues and blueprints to the future of coordinated traffic management. This project will serve as a model for other regions, demonstrating what is possible when strong governance, advanced technology and collaboration work together to solve transportation challenges.