Q-Free, a global leader in mobility solutions for smart city infrastructure, today announced the launch of Dynamic® Metering, the third module of Dynamic Software, following Dynamic CV for connected vehicles and Dynamic Signals for local traffic signal control. Built for today’s connected transportation environment, Dynamic Metering brings modern cybersecurity, interoperability, and ease of management to freeway ramp metering, providing agencies with a secure, future-ready platform for managing traffic flow.

Freeway ramp meters are an important part of transportation infrastructure, helping agencies manage traffic entering freeways, reduce congestion, improve safety, and increase overall network efficiency. As these systems become increasingly connected, cybersecurity must be treated as a fundamental part of their design. “Dynamic Metering is an important step forward in the battle to stay ahead the cyber threat,” said Q-Free CEO Mark Talbot. “It will feel comfortable and familiar to our customers using our popular MAXTIME suite, but comes with additional, industry-leading protections that meet the moment head on.”

Dynamic Metering features end-to-end encryption using similar technology to online banking, providing secure communications between Q-Free controllers and secure central systems that help prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. When paired with Q-Free’s Kinetic® Mobility platform, it also provides centralized user permission management and advanced online and offline authentication allowing agencies to securely manage users across large networks of field devices Further, the pairing of Dynamic Metering and Kinetic Mobility also allows agencies to use existing organizational identity systems, including Microsoft or Google accounts, for single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for user authentication. This means that when an employee is removed from an agency’s IT system, access can be automatically revoked at the central system all the way down to the front panel of the controller.

Dynamic Metering offers:

• Advanced Ramp Metering Control – Optimize traffic flow onto freeways by controlling vehicle entry rates and coordinating with nearby intersections and other ramp meters.
• Improved Safety and Mobility – Break up platoons of vehicles entering the freeway, helping reduce conflicts as drivers compete for limited gaps in mainline traffic while improving throughput and reducing congestion and delays.
• Flexible Traffic Management – Support traffic-responsive operation, time-of-day control, volume and occupancy-based metering rates, queuing management, and automated shutdown strategies when ramp queues reach defined thresholds.
• Modern Web-Based Management – Monitor and modify ramp metering operations through an intuitive web-based interface from virtually any PC, tablet, or smartphone.
• Extensive Field Support – Support multiple detectors, metered lanes, radar-based detection, Ethernet communications, GPS-based time synchronization, local intersection integration, and peer-to-peer communications.

“Cybersecurity needs to be built into transportation technology from the start—not added after the fact,” said Whitney Nottage, P.E., PTOE EVP of Traffic Management at Q-Free. “Dynamic Metering gives operators the proven metering capabilities they know, combined with the cybersecurity, modern interface, and management tools they need to operate confidently in today’s connected environment.”

Q-Free’s Dynamic Software was created to assure state of the industry security at various points through the traffic management cycle. An adaptive control module is also in the works to continue expanding cybersecurity availability across multiple aspects of traffic management. Early adopters include the Georgia Department of Transportation which is working to deploy Dynamic Signals at more than 8,500 intersections across the state.