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

  • Technology advances improve enforcement
    July 26, 2012
    Across the board, technology is being brought to bear to improve the efficiency of enforcement. Bus lane monitoring, parking and controlled access have all benefited from systems introduced in recent months. While speed and red light infringements tend to attract the most attention, there remain several other areas of enforcement where automation can bring significant operational and efficiency benefits. Lane monitoring and access control also continue to benefit from technological development.
  • McCain takes on the Swarco name
    August 19, 2022
    It was in 2016 when US-based ITS supplier McCain became a part of the Swarco family.
  • Detection analysis technology successfully predicts traffic flows
    February 3, 2012
    David Crawford investigates new detection analysis technology from IBM. Locations on both the East and West Coasts of the US are scheduled for early deployments of IBM's new Traffic Prediction Tool (TPT) statistical analysis model for the fine-time resolution and near-term prediction of road flow conditions. Developed by IBM's Watson Research Laboratories, TPT is designed to analyse data from the the key detection indicators - average vehicle volumes and speeds passing a location in a given time interval -
  • Sensor solutions cuts maintenance and emissions
    December 8, 2014
    The new raft of sensor technology can provide cost savings as well as additional functionality, as David Crawford discovers. Austria’s third-largest city, Linz, with a population of around 200,000, is recording substantial savings in its urban tram network within 18 months of introducing a new, high-technology approach to its public transport management. Tram, bus and trolleybus operator Linz Linien forms part of city utilities management company Linz AG, which has been carrying out a wide-ranging Smart Cit