Colorado congestion cure from Daktronics

Daktronics is here at ITS America 2016 San Jose to highlight an impressive array of dynamic message signs (DMS) and an equally impressive recent deployment. Ski traffic congestion in Colorado had become extremely challenging for Colorado DoT with traffic rushing out to the slopes on Fridays and hurrying home on Sundays. Rather than the time and cost of building a whole new road to keep travellers moving, CDoT brought an economical solution to life: the I-70 Mountain Express Lane.
June 14, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Jason Morrison of Daktronics

32 Daktronics is here at ITS America 2016 San Jose to highlight an impressive array of dynamic message signs (DMS) and an equally impressive recent deployment. Ski traffic congestion in Colorado had become extremely challenging for Colorado DoT with traffic rushing out to the slopes on Fridays and hurrying home on Sundays. Rather than the time and cost of building a whole new road to keep travellers moving, CDoT brought an economical solution to life: the I-70 Mountain Express Lane.

In a March 28, 2016 press release, Shailen Bhatt, CDoT Executive Director stated, “We know from experience that we can’t build our way out of congestion.”

A 13-mile stretch between Empire and Idaho Springs employs a shoulder lane for emergencies in the offseason that doubles as an Express lane during the peak travel season. Twenty-three Daktronics Vanguard displays alert drivers to lane status, toll rates, speed limits and safety information such as rock slides and accidents. Dynamic pricing determines the toll that drivers pay to use the lane, which can cut their drive time by 30 minutes.

The results have been extremely impressive: On April 3, 2016, travel speeds were 55 mph in the Express Lane and 40 mph in the general purpose lanes. Traffic in previous years crawled at 5-10 mph. Winter season throughput increased by 15% while peak day throughput increased by 5,800 vehicles. General purpose lane travel times improved by 18% during peak periods and corridor incidents were down by 15%. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, travel times for all lanes were reduced by up to 52% compared to 2012.

Matt Dunscomb, senior project manager for the roadway’s electrical contractor, explained that “Reliability was 100% the biggest factor in choosing a subcontractor. Daktronics is always a frontrunner with quality products. If something doesn’t work, they’re very responsive to do the right thing and get it fixed.”

Related Content

  • October 2, 2018
    Congestion pricing - no such thing as a free ride
    The widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles is likely to increase congestion, many experts believe. But Wes Guckert of Traffic Group believes that tolling could provide the answer. While it is still hard to wrap your head around the idea of getting into a vehicle without a driver, the industry is now used to hearing, reading, participating in the advancement of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Those in the industry have heard about Uber delivering a shipment of Budweiser, or the convoy of driverless trucks
    Read More
  • April 16, 2013
    A sharper message from Daktronics
    Daktronics comes to the ITS America Annual Meeting with an offer to help agencies ‘Sharpen the Image’ of their dynamic messages signs with the introduction of its new 20mm full-colour Vanguard product line. As the company points out, the dissemination of critical information to drivers is a leading priority for transportation agencies across the United States. Enabling this effort is the recent evolution of NTCIP and MUTCD standards encouraging the use of colour and legible graphics. These efforts allow age
    Read More
  • August 12, 2015
    Figures show Express Lanes bring wider benefits
    Drivers in the Washington DC area are realising time savings following the opening of Express Lanes on the I-95 - and not only those paying to use the new facility. Washington is ranked as being the worst gridlocked city in the United States. Every day its drivers face an average commute time of 39.5 minutes and they waste an average of 67 hours every year just sitting in traffic. In a move to counter these problems, late last December new Express Lanes were opened along 46.6km (29 miles) of the I-95 betwee
    Read More
  • January 11, 2017
    Kapsch outlines tolling options to combat traffic congestion
    Michael Maitland from Kapsch TrafficCom looks at how the various forms of tolling can help authorities combat traffic congestion and air quality problems while simultaneously raising revenue.
    Read More

Highlighted Content