Fort Worth traffic signal improvements are coming in 2009

by PegNews wire

Congestion and air quality are top priorities for Fort Worth and the North Texas Region. That’s why the city will improve its traffic signal operations come 2009.

Upgrading the system will improve traffic flow, reduce traffic accidents, improve air quality and fuel consumption, and better manage Fort Worth’s roadway system.

The current traffic signal system installed in1986 needs a major overhaul. That overhaul includes a $3.4 million investment to install intelligent transportation system (ITS) components. The investment will be covered with federal grants and a city funding match.

ITS makes use of the latest modern technologies, including transportation communication systems that relay traffic information to the city’s Traffic Management Center (TMC). It’s a real-time operation that uses digital cable modems, wireless modems, closed captioned television cameras (traffic cameras) and control boxes to alert center staff to all types of traffic upsets.

Today, 160 intersections are connected to the city’s traffic signal system. By installing the high-speed ITS communication system, 300 additional traffic signals will be connected so staff can synchronize clocks for coordination, monitor signal operations, detect traffic flow, react to events, change timing and receive automatic malfunction alerts.

As part of the improvement package, 30 new traffic cameras also will be installed in 2009. These cameras “keep an eye” on traffic flow, signal timing, railroad crossing activity, and they allow staff to conduct traffic studies, evaluate responses and share video with the Texas Department of Transportation as well as the city’s 911 Call Center and Emergency Operations Center.

Source: Fort Worth