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.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • $25.6 million DMS contract
    February 2, 2012
    Daktronics will provide its Vanguard Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) under a new US$25.6 million contract.
    Read More
  • Fitch Ratings analysis indicates problems for toll express lanes
    November 12, 2013
    A special report, US Managed Lanes, by Fitch Ratings sees toll express or managed lanes (MLs) as especially difficult to assess for financial viability, saying that they vary enormously one to another and are likely to demonstrate very different performance and be subject to greater volatility than regular toll roads. But they say there is now sufficient experience with managed lanes (MLs) for some lessons to be learned. ML time savings compared to the regular lanes has been seen as the fundamental drive
    Read More
  • Cubic’s holistic view of traffic management
    May 25, 2022
    How can cities and transit agencies ease congested roadways? Andy Taylor of Cubic Transportation Systems suggests it would help to take a more holistic view of the problem
    Read More
  • Temporary CCTV poses more challenges than permanent installations
    June 12, 2015
    Long-term roadworks pose particular problems for temporary surveillance installations. Converting the hard shoulder to a running lane, either full- or part-time, is the UK Highways Agency’s solution to ease motorway congestion. This is leading to a number of long-term projects where large stretches of the hard shoulder are closed off by temporary concrete barriers and during these roadwork programmes, temporary CCTV cameras are deployed to monitor and record vehicle traffic and workers.
    Read More

Highlighted Content