Transportation Technology Rescuing Frustrated U.S., San Marcos Motorists

Traffic congestion – is anything more frustrating? Time is wasted. Stress levels rise. Motorists are in danger when emergencies occur. Drivers become erratic. Something must be done!

With inadequate transportation funding, cities and states throughout the United States are searching for solutions. One of the latest trends is a “smart” traffic signal system. Some cities adopted this technology early. Others are just beginning to use it.

The innovative transportation technology can be used in various ways, but one of the more common uses is to adjust signal light timing to traffic flow. In other words, lights turn green when there is no traffic approaching from another direction. And, lights stay green longer when there is an abundance of traffic from one direction and not the other.

Traffic lights, in smart systems, are tied to software that makes adjustments without manual assistance. There are a number of ways that signals are sent. For instance, inductive wire can be imbedded in the highway pavement or cameras can be used. Radar is another option and there are others.

One of the more common uses of smart traffic signal technology is to automate traffic lights when fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency vehicles are detected. When this happens, lights switch to green to provide access for emergency vehicles through intersections. The lights will then stay green for whatever period of time it takes for the vehicles to pass without having to stop or slow down. Not only does the technology allow emergency vehicles to reach destinations faster, but it also affects safety. The city of Plano, using this technology, reduced the number of emergency vehicle accidents from 2.3 per year at intersections annually to less than one every five years.

A Texas A&M Transportation Institute report estimated that in 2020, delays caused by traffic congestion in this country will reach 8.4 billion hours, resulting in the average commuter losing 45 hours and 25 gallons of gas. The carbon dioxide emissions that result from idling vehicles are not only detrimental to the area, but to the entire planet. This is only one solution that is gaining traction as public officials seek to find ways to reduce traffic congestion. Others are being implemented as well. Innovation is good!

As the United States finds more innovative ways to improve our transportation infrastructure, ensure that your business is involved and let SPI help you win government business.
Mary Scott Nabers is President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., Where this story originally published and is reprinted here with full permission. Ms. Scott Nabers has decades of experience working in the public-private sector. A well-recognized expert in the P3 and government contracting fields, she is often asked to share her industry insights with top publications and through professional speaking engagements.

Editors Two Cents
We all know that traffic is one of the biggest issues and draws some of the biggest complaints from San Marcos residents.

The City of San Marcos started implementing the smart technology mentioned above years ago, and sometimes it does work to help the flow of traffic but sometimes it does not.

Maybe the city could use a little more training on the use of this smart traffic technology. These systems can work very well, as long as they are used properly. Could it be that part of the problem is that the city is only using this technology on the problem areas?

With that said, some of our intersections use the smart technology and some do not, but we all have seen green lights or arrows when there isn’t a car in site.

In an intersection, that only one side has traffic that is turning, instead of giving green turn arrows to two different opposite directions while only one is needed, why not give the green arrow to the one side needed and give the additional traffic headed in the same direction a green light as well?

The Hwy 80 intersection is confusing until you get used to it and very glad to hear they are planning and additional left hand turn lane to get on I35 South. However, the other big issue with this intersection is the stoplights, which are turned, at such an angle that you cannot see what color the light is until you are right under it. This makes this lane move very slow and it is even backing up onto the freeway.

We are not experts on traffic or the flow of, but sometimes I don’t think the city transportation department drives around the city much. They do have a tough job, I wouldn’t imagine many residents appreciate the tough job this city department is tasked with.