The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) is taking a decisive step forward in its mission to safeguard critical traffic infrastructure and all who rely on it daily.

NDOT recently completed a rollout of ALCEA’s 75481 Series Traffic Cabinet Locks. It is transforming the way Nashville protects its signal cabinets, Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) boxes, and the technology that keeps traffic flowing safely, from downtown Broadway’s iconic intersections to neighborhood school zones.

“The truth is, we just didn’t have the security and control we needed before,” said Aaron Cushman, IT/ITS division manager, Nashville DOT. “We needed to regain control in terms of who’s in our cabinets, when, and why. That accountability piece was missing.”

The decision to deploy ALCEA’s solution was born out of a multi-year search for a locking system that could keep pace with Nashville’s modernization goals. The 75481 Series, powered by ABLOY technology, delivers high-security mechanical protection plus the electromechanical smarts to generate full audit trails, manage permissions, and provide real-time accountability for every keyholder: city staff, field technicians, third-party contractors, or timing study consultants.

“Key control and cabinet control. That’s really what this comes down to,” Cushman said. “We want to be able to see who’s in our cabinets, when they’re in there, and how long they stay. This system gives us that visibility.”

He indicated the days of a #2 signal cabinet key that anyone could duplicate are over. Each technician and contractor receives a unique credential that’s tracked and must be revalidated regularly. 

“We’re going to see a real change in how we do business,” Cushman said. “Weekly or daily key syncs will hold people more accountable. If something happens, we’ll know exactly who was where.”

The 75481 Series design is also a practical fit for the city’s cabinet infrastructure. The city plans to add a range of mechanical padlocks for lower priority access points on the same keying system.

The program kicked off in late July with an initial wave of installations to every signal cabinet in Nashville.

“When you’re talking about protecting a network as critical as a city’s traffic system, every cabinet door matters,” said Kory Hamill, ALCEA’s transportation sector specialist for the project. “Nashville’s leadership understands that physical security is the first line of defense. It’s inspiring to see a city put that kind of vision into action.”