Digital Traffic Cops To Speed The Flow

The City of Carlsbadistan will implement some good old fashioned traffic directing this summer through a new digital technology that will allow remote operators to control the traffic lights at the city’s busiest intersection at Palomar Airport Road and El Camino Real.

“This new Traffic Management Center will revolutionize the way we manage traffic in the city,” said Doug Bilse, the city’s traffic signal systems engineer. “It’s a great example of investing in technology to work more efficiently and achieve better results.” . . . The purpose of the pilot program is to develop a five year program to replace the city’s current system, which is limited to a small number of traffic signals that can be coordinated. As the multi-year program is completed, city staff will be able to view the signal operations along an entire corridor and optimize the system to improve traffic flow through the city.

We wonder if a couple guys with florescent vests and a whistles couldn’t do an even better job. Follow the jump for all the details.City uses new technology to improve traffic flow
Pilot project this summer targets the city’s busiest intersection

The City of Carlsbad is planning a pilot project this summer to enable city staff to monitor traffic and adjust traffic signal timing remotely from a new Traffic Management Center. The pilot project will test new technology to improve traffic flow from Carlsbad’s busiest intersection at Palomar Airport Road and El Camino Real, which serves more than 63,000 vehicles each day. Residents should notice improvements to traffic flow through this intersection by the end of this summer.

“This new Traffic Management Center will revolutionize the way we manage traffic in the city,” said Doug Bilse, the city’s traffic signal systems engineer. “It’s a great example of investing in technology to work more efficiently and achieve better results.”

The purpose of the pilot program is to develop a five year program to replace the city’s current system, which is limited to a small number of traffic signals that can be coordinated. As the multi-year program is completed, city staff will be able to view the signal operations along an entire corridor and optimize the system to improve traffic flow through the city.

The new system will also automatically detect traffic signal equipment malfunctions improving the city’s signal maintenance response time. Another benefit is traffic signal operations can be adjusted over secured lines of communications in response to road construction, special events, or emergencies such as a major accident on Interstate 5.

It is not anticipated that all the traffic signals in the city will be linked to the Traffic Management Center. For example, isolated traffic signals that are not on a major transportation corridor might not be linked due to cost benefit considerations.

The pilot project will compare the effectiveness of wireless, fiber optic and copper wire technology to transmit data from the intersection of Palomar Airport Road and El Camino Real to the new Traffic Management Center. Results from the pilot project will be used to finalize a five-year plan to link other traffic signals in the city to the new Traffic Management Center to improve traffic flow citywide.

“Improving traffic flow is a top priority for the city,” said Bilse. “Being able to get around town safely and efficiently makes a big difference in the quality of life for our residents.”