The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday approved the acquisition of equipment needed to complete a comprehensive traffic signal project this year that will improve traffic flow throughout the city. The three-year project is ahead of schedule and under budget.
"Our traffic signal system has gone from the Stone Age to state of the art," said City of Carlsbad Public Works Director Skip Hammann. "We are on course to achieve our objective to implement a world class traffic signal program in a fraction of the time and cost needed to complete similar projects."
City staff expects the project to cost $4.5 million, which is $1.2 million less than the original estimate. Engineers plan to have almost all of the city's 174 traffic signals linked to a new traffic management center by the end of summer.
"We are six months ahead of schedule because we used public/private partnerships focused on delivering cost effective solutions to meet Carlsbad's unique traffic setting," said Project Manager Doug Bilse.
The first two years of the traffic signal project involved upgrading equipment to improve performance and increase reliability. Staff attained a major milestone this spring when it linked 130 traffic signals to a new traffic management center through a wireless network. This enables staff to monitor traffic flow on all of Carlsbad's major corridors and remotely control the traffic signals.
The project team customized equipment to meet Carlsbad's distinctive traffic challenges.
"Carlsbad is a leader in implementing livable streets, so the traffic signal equipment was designed to improve service to bicyclists and pedestrians as well as drivers," Hammann said.
The video cameras that detect autos were modified to better serve and count bicyclists, and new countdown indicators were installed at busy intersections to show pedestrians the time remaining to cross the street. Several intersections were improved, including the popular "Carlsbad Scramble" at Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulevard.
Bilse realizes that drivers are more concerned with getting to their destinations quickly and are not necessarily interested in how the traffic signals operate.
"With the new equipment in place, we are now ready to implement new traffic signal timing plans to better serve all those who live, work and play in Carlsbad," he said. "Developing signal timing plans is a challenge because travel patterns vary by the hour, day and month." Watch a video about wait times at red lights.
Carlsbad has been recognized recently as a leader in the traffic signal industry. The pioneering work developing the wireless network won an award at the 2010 San Diego Geography Showcase, and city traffic engineers have made presentations to professional organizations on the innovative concepts introduced as part of this project. The new traffic management center has become a test bed for evaluating new equipment.
? Source: City of Carlsbad
Carlsbad recently received a winning bid for emergency vehicle pre-emption equipment that was less than half the price of the next lowest bid because, according to Bilse, the low bidder valued the Carlsbad project as a way to showcase its product.
Using a report card system for evaluating the nation's traffic signal programs, Carlsbad improved from a grade of D+ before the project started to its current B+ grade. A separate evaluation of traffic flow through signalized intersections indicated that timing plans implemented last year improved peak-hour traffic flow on the major corridors from a grade of C to a grade of B, with more improvements likely this year.
Because of the way traffic signals operate, improving traffic flow in one direction of travel may degrade service in other directions.
"There are so many trade-offs involved that it is virtually impossible to develop a perfect traffic signal timing plan that serves all drivers without some delay," Bilse said. For example, the peak-hour timing plan tends to favor motorists traveling along major corridors rather than providing quick access from the side streets.
"We are constantly looking at ways to make a difference driving in Carlsbad," Hammann said. "We believe the traffic signal upgrades will enhance the experiences of drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists in Carlsbad."
"Our traffic signal system has gone from the Stone Age to state of the art," said City of Carlsbad Public Works Director Skip Hammann. "We are on course to achieve our objective to implement a world class traffic signal program in a fraction of the time and cost needed to complete similar projects."
City staff expects the project to cost $4.5 million, which is $1.2 million less than the original estimate. Engineers plan to have almost all of the city's 174 traffic signals linked to a new traffic management center by the end of summer.
"We are six months ahead of schedule because we used public/private partnerships focused on delivering cost effective solutions to meet Carlsbad's unique traffic setting," said Project Manager Doug Bilse.
The first two years of the traffic signal project involved upgrading equipment to improve performance and increase reliability. Staff attained a major milestone this spring when it linked 130 traffic signals to a new traffic management center through a wireless network. This enables staff to monitor traffic flow on all of Carlsbad's major corridors and remotely control the traffic signals.
The project team customized equipment to meet Carlsbad's distinctive traffic challenges.
"Carlsbad is a leader in implementing livable streets, so the traffic signal equipment was designed to improve service to bicyclists and pedestrians as well as drivers," Hammann said.
The video cameras that detect autos were modified to better serve and count bicyclists, and new countdown indicators were installed at busy intersections to show pedestrians the time remaining to cross the street. Several intersections were improved, including the popular "Carlsbad Scramble" at Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulevard.
Bilse realizes that drivers are more concerned with getting to their destinations quickly and are not necessarily interested in how the traffic signals operate.
"With the new equipment in place, we are now ready to implement new traffic signal timing plans to better serve all those who live, work and play in Carlsbad," he said. "Developing signal timing plans is a challenge because travel patterns vary by the hour, day and month." Watch a video about wait times at red lights.
Carlsbad has been recognized recently as a leader in the traffic signal industry. The pioneering work developing the wireless network won an award at the 2010 San Diego Geography Showcase, and city traffic engineers have made presentations to professional organizations on the innovative concepts introduced as part of this project. The new traffic management center has become a test bed for evaluating new equipment.
? Source: City of Carlsbad
Carlsbad recently received a winning bid for emergency vehicle pre-emption equipment that was less than half the price of the next lowest bid because, according to Bilse, the low bidder valued the Carlsbad project as a way to showcase its product.
Using a report card system for evaluating the nation's traffic signal programs, Carlsbad improved from a grade of D+ before the project started to its current B+ grade. A separate evaluation of traffic flow through signalized intersections indicated that timing plans implemented last year improved peak-hour traffic flow on the major corridors from a grade of C to a grade of B, with more improvements likely this year.
Because of the way traffic signals operate, improving traffic flow in one direction of travel may degrade service in other directions.
"There are so many trade-offs involved that it is virtually impossible to develop a perfect traffic signal timing plan that serves all drivers without some delay," Bilse said. For example, the peak-hour timing plan tends to favor motorists traveling along major corridors rather than providing quick access from the side streets.
"We are constantly looking at ways to make a difference driving in Carlsbad," Hammann said. "We believe the traffic signal upgrades will enhance the experiences of drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists in Carlsbad."