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ITS America Smart Solution
Spotlight
Smarter Traffic Signals Will Reduce Delays for
Atlanta Commuters
Georgia DOT Receives National Transportation Award
for Innovative Regional Traffic Operations
Program
Atlanta, GA - The Georgia Department of
Transportation (GDOT) was recognized today by the nation's largest
transportation technology organization for its use of Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) to save Atlanta commuters and
businesses time and fuel costs by reducing delays along major
traffic corridors.
Georgia DOT Commissioner Vance Smith was
presented with the ITS America Smart Solution Spotlight
award during today's State Transportation Board meeting in
recognition of GDOT's Regional Traffic Operations Program (RTOP),
which is tackling the region's most congested corridors by
installing new technology that improves traffic signal operation to
benefit all users of the intersection including cars, trucks,
pedestrians, and buses.
According to ITS America Executive Vice President Tom
Kern, the traffic signal project "demonstrates how
public agencies can leverage technology to
cost-effectively reduce delays and optimize system efficiency,
which in turn will save commuters time and money, improve on-time
delivery for area businesses, cut down on CO2 emissions,
and prevent crashes caused by stop-and-go traffic."
"ITS is a critical component in our efforts to operate
our system at its most effective level," Commissioner Smith said.
"To have that effort recognized by ITS America is very gratifying
and a tribute to the Department employees working with this
technology."
Studies show that poor signal timing accounts for five
to ten percent of all traffic delays, which have been calculated to
cost Americans more than $87 billion annually in wasted time and
fuel according to the Texas Transportation Institute's 2009 Urban
Mobility Report. While the average rush-hour commuter spends
nearly a full work week stuck in traffic each year, the report
ranked Atlanta third in the nation (behind L.A.-Long Beach and
Washington, DC) at 57 hours of delay and 40 gallons of wasted fuel
each year per traveler. Congestion in the Atlanta area cost each
rush-hour commuter over $1,250, totaling almost $3 billion annually
for the region.
GDOT decided to tackle the problem by targeting the most
problematic intersections and corridors for signal timing
upgrades. Coordinated traffic signal technology has been shown to
return $40 to the public in time and fuel savings for every $1
dollar invested. By synchronizing traffic signals in the Atlanta
region, GDOT plans to improve traffic flow along major commuter
corridors as well as reduce environmental emissions.
The Regional Traffic Operations program has already
begun at 203 intersections and will soon be expanded to 430
intersections along 11 corridors including US 23/SR42/Moreland
Avenue from I-285 to Ponce De Leon Avenue; SR 92/Crossville Road
from Downsby Lane to Mansell Road; SR 140/Holcomb Bridge Road/Jimmy
Carter Blvd from SR 9 to Shelby Drive; SR 141/Peachtree
Road/Peachtree Industrial Blvd/Peachtree Pkwy/Medlock Bridge Road
from SR 9 to Deerlake Drive; SR 237/Piedmont Road from Monroe Drive
to Habersham Road; US 41/Northside Drive/Cobb Pkwy from Howell Mill
Road to Lake Acworth Drive; SR 9/Peachtree Road/Roswell Road from
Deering Road to Azalea Drive; SR 8/Ponce De Leon Avenue/Scott
Blvd/Lawrenceville Hwy from Juniper Street to Montreal Road; US 78
from E. Park Place to Scenic Hwy; SR 85 from Grady Avenue to I-75;
and US 41/Tara Blvd from Lovejoy Road to Morrow Road.
Drivers crossing through the intersection of Piedmont
Road and East Paces Ferry Road are familiar with the effect that
poorly coordinated traffic signals can have on their commutes.
Through the proper timing of traffic signals with adjacent
intersections and the repair of sensors that recognize when
vehicles are waiting on a side street, traffic flow on the major
arterials will begin to experience a decrease in average delays by
more than 35 percent.
Through partnerships with local agencies, GDOT will
share access to cameras and remotely control traffic signals,
allowing the agency to make adjustments to the timing as problems
are identified, or when lane closures and accidents
happen.
The Regional Traffic Operations Program was established
to address transportation concerns throughout Atlanta, including
how to improve traffic flow along major commuter corridors that may
cross multiple jurisdictional boundaries. The program has
implemented a regional effort for the operation of traffic signals
by developing traffic signal timing plans focused on increasing
throughput during the peak periods.
To learn more about the project, contact Grant Waldrop,
Regional Traffic Operations Manager, (404) 635-8558.
About the Intelligent Transportation Society
of America
ITS America is the leading advocate for ITS technology
development and deployment in the United States. ITS America was
established in 1991 as a not-for-profit organization to foster the
use of advanced technologies across America's surface
transportation system. Members include private companies and
industry leaders, government agencies at all levels, universities
and research laboratories. For more information, visit www.itsa.org
.
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