Skip to main content

New Mexico installs its first adaptive signal system

Work has begun on a US$343,000 project to install the first adaptive signal control system in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, to improve traffic flow along Alameda Boulevard, which has one of the highest traffic flows in the county. The system is a designated set of traffic signals that effectively communicate with each other and adapt to the traffic flow, reducing the frequency of red lights when traffic volume is high to improve overall traffic flow. County commissioner Lonnie Talbert said: “Up to 50,000 v
May 24, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Work has begun on a US$343,000 project to install the first adaptive signal control system in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, to improve traffic flow along Alameda Boulevard, which has one of the highest traffic flows in the county.

The system is a designated set of traffic signals that effectively communicate with each other and adapt to the traffic flow, reducing the frequency of red lights when traffic volume is high to improve overall traffic flow.

County commissioner Lonnie Talbert said: “Up to 50,000 vehicles per day travel along Alameda.  This system will improve their overall travel time on a daily basis.”

The county will install video detection cameras and the program software for the adaptive signal control system at seven major intersections to collect real-time traffic flow information. The information will be used to optimise the signal timing based on real-time traffic conditions throughout the day. Peak hour traffic flow will be improved by adjusting the green times to improve overall traffic flow while not significantly increasing the wait times on the side streets.

The recent installation of thousands of feet of fibre-optic cable helped to establish the county’s own infrastructure for voice and data communications, which will allow the county to remotely operate and monitor the system from its traffic operations office.

The system is expected to be fully activated by the beginning of September.

Related Content

  • Remote-monitoring system helps keep Arizona city moving
    December 8, 2016
    The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has installed a wireless communication system allowing technicians in Phoenix to monitor conditions and adjust signal timing accordingly on State Route 347 through Maricopa. The system has a series of infrared and video cameras installed at each SR 347 intersection, allowing an ADOT technician in Phoenix to see exactly what is happening and modify the length of traffic signals to improve traffic flow. Another part of the system automatically monitors tra
  • Traffic cameras embrace AI
    December 19, 2022
    Artificial intelligence is spreading into many aspects of mobility – but what about traffic management and enforcement cameras? ITS International invited a few vision experts to ponder a couple of leading questions…
  • Hikvision’s wind/solar solution offers ‘off grid’ vision
    August 20, 2019
    Getting vision tech to ‘off-grid’ areas is a challenge - but Hikvision has come up with an answer in China, while also handling some rather more conventional smart cities work in Germany
  • Improving traffic flow with the SignalGuru app
    September 19, 2012
    Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed SignalGuru, an app that uses dashboard-mounted smartphones to help drivers avoid red lights and reduce fuel consumption. Researchers say that SignalGuru predicts when a traffic signal is about to change, and the speed that should be driven when approaching an intersection in order to cruise through without stopping.