The next decade could see the biggest advances in transportation since the invention of the automobile, and Tuscaloosa is getting there a little faster.

By the middle of next year, 85 dedicated short-range communication radios, or DSRCs, will be installed in traffic signals in Tuscaloosa and Northport. The first 50 are going in this fall. They have been paid for by the University of Alabama.

The DSRC radios are technology that analysts expect will pave the way for autonomous automobiles, or self-driving vehicles.

Bharat Balasubramanian is the executive director of the university's Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies. He says there are "a wealth of applications" connected to the DSRC radios.

The radios are designed to interact with vehicles which have corresponding DSRC units. The technology does not currently appear in most standard vehicles, but is projected to become more ubiquitous over the next few years.

Balasubramanian, who came to the university after serving as a vice president of research for Daimler, said the technology can lead to roadways with improved safety, better traffic flow and better fuel economy.

He presented a scenario from the near future recently at a Birmingham automotive conference.

An ambulance threads through traffic, sending signals to other vehicles ahead of it and allowing traffic to flow around it. A DSRC radio inside the ambulance signals traffic lights ahead to change, which allows the ambulance to continue on through intersections and other vehicles to stop.

Other uses - a red light warning within a vehicle, similar to current collision warnings.

The DSRC units being installed will not be able to retain or gather any personal information.

However, information gathered about traffic will be used by faculty, staff and students at the university to study signal phase and timing. This data can eventually lead to interaction between vehicles and signals.

The project will involve the university's Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology, the University Transportation Center, the Center for Advanced Public Safety and the Alabama Transportation Institute.

With the development of 5G technology, eventually GPS will be able to locate vehicles on the road within one to two centimeters. That will means constant updates of weather, traffic and road conditions for drivers and passengers, construction zones and other possible impacts on travel.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation have challenged every state to install at least 20 DSRC radios by 2020.

Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox, in a statement, said the data will be used to improve the lives of the community.

"Not only will it aid in personal convenience, but it could also help keep businesses on schedule and further transportation research," he said.