The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
If it seems like the traffic-light gods have been smiling lately, it's more than just divine intervention. It's part of a three-year effort to time lights at intersections throughout the city.
In October 2008, the public works department began re-timing lights along Indian River Road, Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach Boulevard near Town Center and First Colonial Road.
Within the next few months, motorists may notice smoother sailing as they travel intersections along Kempsville Road, General Booth Boulevard and Princess Anne Road. Traffic lights along these corridors will be re-timed.
When the effort concludes in October 2011, 250 intersections will be addressed.
The goal, said Jason E. Cosby, public works director, is to get traffic moving efficiently. In addition to alleviating congestion, Cosby said syncing the lights can save motorists about $200 annually in fuel costs, since they are not sitting in stagnated traffic.
Franklin Hickman, the city's Intelligent Transportation Systems manager, is overseeing the re-timing project. Hickman said although improved traffic light coordination isn't a magic bullet, it's a good, low-cost alternative in some cases.
"It's actually a lot more cost-efficient than putting down more pavement," Hickman said.
"We know that typically, you can get a 5 to 15 to 20 percent reduction in vehicle delay," Hickman added.
The city first synchronized its traffic lights in the early 1990s.
Since then, certain intersections have been revisited, but there hasn't been any significant effort made for the past five years. Undertaking such a project, Hickman said, was always put on the back burner because of funding issues.
Now, thanks to a series of federal grants totaling $1.7 million, the city has the money it needs to re-time all but 100 of its signalized intersections.
"We won't be able to get every last one of them, but we're going to hit those high profile areas that meet that criteria," Hickman said.
Since the re-timing efforts began, Hickman has heard back from a number of residents who are happy about the improved light cycles, especially on Indian River Road.
Chris Peters has lived in Virginia Beach since 1967. Over the years, he has noticed the city's need to synchronize its lights.
While traveling on Mercury Boulevard in Hampton recently, Peters said he drove through a number of traffic lights on a long stretch of road before having to stop for a red light.
"It was incredible," Peters said. "They were all turning green about 100 yards from the intersection. Virginia Beach needs to take a little bit of a lesson from them."
Peters, who lives near Town Center, said he has noticed the traffic lights around there have been re-timed. But instead of turning green as he approaches, Peters said they all change at the same time.
Cosby said the newly re-timed light cycles are based on motorists traveling at the posted speed limit.
"If you do the proper speed limit," Cosby said, "you will make those lights from the beginning to the end."
Rita Frankenberry, (757) 222-5102, rita.frankenberry@pilotonline.com
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Speed Limit
The main component missing in the syncing of the lights is speed limit, you know, a velocity of travel NOT to be exceeded. The speed limit on VB BLVD is 45 mph, not 55, not 60, the speed limit for the majority of Independence is the same, and yet, I get honked at, bumper ridden, hand gestured, and verbally abused when I OBEY this basic traffic law. If everyone were to slow down just a bit, possibly leave home 10 minutes sooner, and OBEY traffic laws, not only would your ride to work be smoother, but you would get there faster and on time. It would also be oh so helpful should you anticipate that you need to turn at the next light and make adjustments accordingly well before the lane entrance, not wait until you are ALMOST TO THE LIGHT itself,because of course, you are just too important to have to wait your turn in line, you need to break into line farther up and hold up traffic completely behind you. Wake up people, it is not the lights and only partially the traffic; It is MOSTLY your IRRESPONSIBLE DRIVING HABITS!
Uhh There are numerous
Uhh There are numerous studies that show speeders are NOT the cause of traffic accidents or slow traffic. People that drive 5MPH under the limit in the center and left lane, texters, women doing what ever they do in cars, and elderly are more prone to cause a traffic problem then someone speeding. Do a little research before spouting nonsense.
In response:
So, what you are saying is that those drivers who break traffic laws, speed, cut in front of other drivers darting in and out without signals, stop traffic behind them to move into a turn lane well after the start of the solid white line are not a major cause of not only traffic accidents but also traffic delays. Sorry, I beg to differ. As a former paramedic and volunteer firefighter who had to not only respond and deal with the consequences, but who had to take extensive driver safety courses to be able to drive those very large vehicles, we learned the opposite. Someone driving 5 miles under the speed limit has better control over their vehicles than someone driving 10 to 15 miles over the limit, especially if that someone does not leave the appropriate amount of room between him and the vehicle behind him. As far as who does what, both sexes are equally guilty of driving while distracted, and the elderly are often far better drivers than those who are 20, 30, or even 40 years their junior. Maybe it is time that you visited an accident scene and participate in an accident reconstruction as I had to, then we can talk. I would love to see the study that says speeding does not cau
rsmith2178
If you would like to see those studies, maybe you could simply LOOK for them. It's easy; Here's a quote for ya
"... federal and state studies have consistently shown that the drivers most likely to get into accidents in traffic are those traveling significantly below the average speed. According to an Institute of Transportation Engineers Study, those driving 10 mph slower than the prevailing speed are six times as likely to be involved in an accident. That means that if the average speed on an interstate is 70 mph, the person traveling at 60 mph is far more likely to be involved in an accident than someone going 70 or even 80 mph."
I would like to note that prevailing speed is NOT the speed you think everyone SHOULD be driving but, rather that speed most people ARE driving.
Look no further than the state of Montana.
For the brief time (5 months) that the state had no speed limit on the interstates accident levels were at their lowest. As soon as a speed limit was reenforced accident levels doubled.
The information contained in
The information contained in the article leads me to understand the city is retiming 250 traffic signals using a $1,700,000 grant. I do hope we are receiving much more than the retiming of these signals for that amount. That's $6,800/signal for retiming, which is an awfully high price to pay.
I'm pretty sure that a good
I'm pretty sure that a good number of those intersections are going to need upgraded signal controllers which I think are about $10k each. So, simply dividing the total $ amount by the number of intersections is not a really fair way to calculate the cost.
Here's a question: If the City of Portland estimates to have saved motorists 1,750,000 gallons of fuel per year by optimizing traffic signal timing at 135 intersections and VB wants to do 250 then that will equate to roughly 3,148,148 gallons of fuel per year saved by VB residents. Now, if people don't buy that 3 million gallons of gas every year then the $1,165,000 in taxes (it's 37C/gal, right? I can't remember exactly.) won't be collected and since we get money to build roads from this tax where will that money then come from? It's gotta come from somewhere doesn't it? More taxes?
The city replaced over 300
The city replaced over 300 traffic signal controllers and cabinets with all new equipment several years ago. The price tag just for this equiment, not including the cost to install it, was almost $10,000 per intersection. The total cost to purchase and install the signal controllers and cabinets easily exceded $3,000,000. This is in addition to, and not part of, the $1,700,000 given in the signal retiming article.
Regarding your second comment, it's probably all part of a scheme to get the public to abandon their vehicles and ride the Tide!!
Well then it does sound like
Well then it does sound like a bit much. I (briefly) tried to find some info on that but had no luck. Do you have a link to this info? I wish the Pilot would take their articles just on step further and provide some links to relevant info. You know, like a "For more information, Click here". That sort of thing. Oh, well.
The only Tide I'll ride is the ebb or flood.
Slow technology
In 1969 we had the computer technology to put men on the moon, give them a car to drive around then bring them back safely. Va Beach Blvd was a nightmare to drive into Norfolk. Here we are 40 years later still fighting traffic light problems. What is missing in this picture ?