HOUSING & INFRASTRUCTURE
Red Light, Green Light
Automated traffic signals installed in Greenwich
W
ith all of the technology available to us, someone had to be working on making traffic better. With new adaptive signals, Greenwich is making things a little better on city streets. Everyone knows that sitting in traffic can be the worst part of their commute. And it seems that the Federal Department of Transportation agrees. According to their resources: Poor traffic signal timing contributes to traffic congestion and delay. Conventional signal systems use pre-programmed, daily signal timing schedules. Adaptive signal control technology adjusts the timing of red, yellow and green lights to accommodate changing traffic patterns and ease traffic congestion. The main benefits of adaptive signal control technology over conventional signal systems are that it can: • Continuously distribute green light time equitably for all traffic movements • Improve travel time reliability by progressively moving vehicles through green lights • Reduce congestion by creating smoother flow • Prolong the effectiveness of traffic signal timing Greenwich has installed the state’s first adaptive traffic signal system to help improve the flow around Arch Street, which include areas around the I-95 Northbound and Southbound ramps.
These highly trafficked areas would see increased amounts of congestion at specific points throughout the day, and given their proximity to parks and museums, it was crucial to keep cars moving rather than idling for long periods of time. In a Patch article on these improvements, it was noted that it would take a year’s worth of data to truly understand the benefits of this installation, but there’s already some evidence that these new signals are alleviating congestion. Surprisingly, there’s one benefit to this that might not be obvious at first glance – it could help improve air quality. According to the DOT, it could reduce the emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide due with cars idling less. With 35,000 cars travelling through this corridor each day, there’s plenty of opportunity to reduce the amount of lingering pollution from vehicles. Recently, it was announced that Fairfield County had some of the worst air pollution in the nation. Towns and cities can be leaders in improving air quality, but also quality of life with new adaptive signals. Because we can all admit it, no one likes being stuck in traffic.
INNOVATIVE IDEAS 2022 | 49
