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Doesn’t it drive you crazy when you wait and finally get a green light, then drive 1,000 feet and get another red light? And then the next light you reach is also red? It just wasn’t your day or is it like that every day?

Stopping at red lights not only drives motorists crazy, it’s equally annoying to local government officials who wonder why their traffic signals are set up that way and don’t have an answer for their constituents who complain about it.

According to traffic engineering specialists, the usual cost-effective solution to improving traffic movement and street safety is simply adjusting the timing of the lights so there’s optimal traffic signal progression. Proper re-timing of the signals link traffic signals together so that "platoons" of vehicles can pass through intersections without getting stopped at red lights.

RE-TIMING SIGNALS SAVES TIME, MONEY AND STRESSDepending on traffic patterns, some heavy traffic areas should have signal timing reviewed every year to evaluate its effectiveness and to make adjustments. Surprisingly, even the newest of traffic signals may not be optimal after a year or two because traffic patterns or volumes (or both) change with new developments, like the addition of new homes or businesses. Signal timing doesn’t self-adjust, it has to be re-programmed – and it’s not that big of a deal.

A signal timing review will include optimizing the operations of signalized intersections and quantifying the impact of tweaking the signal timing. Re-timing signals have documented benefits besides the benefit of not driving you crazy any more.

Getting vehicles to travel at safe speeds with minimal or no stopping makes motorists happy and reduces travel time. It also: Reduces emissions; Reduces fuel consumption by 6% to 9%; and Reduces the number of crashes.

TRAFFIC ENGINEERS CAN HELP WITH THE RE-TIMING REVIEWThe responsibility for re-timing belongs to the agency that oversees the roadways usually MDOT, Cities, Villages and Counties where the

signals are located. If it is your signal, you obviously control the timing of the signals. However, if you don’t like the results, you can hire your own traffic engineer to review the signal timing or complete a traffic impact study to help ease congestion.

Although the Wayne County Department of Public Services is in charge of signalization in Canton Township, officials in the Township are glad they hired a traffic engineer to perform a review of the traffic impact studies for two new schools being proposed along a one-mile stretch of Cherry Hill Road between Beck Road and Canton Center Road. The township’s engineer came up with some great recommendations that helped to solve the problem.

“We needed to make sure when these two schools were built that the one mile section of road did not become a major issue,” Bill Serchak, Township Engineer said. “I’m not a traffic engineer, but I’ve seen enough where I said, ‘Wait a minute!’”

The engineer’s recommendations, and subsequent meetings with the private and public schools and various community leaders, resulted in a $3.3 million major road reconstruction project. The federally aided project, with local matches by the schools, included widening to three lanes with a continuous left turn lane, drainage improvements, installation of two new signals and improvements at two intersections.

“The engineer’s performance was superb because we had a neutral party who consolidated all the traffic issues from both schools,” Serchak said. “We then worked closely with Wayne County on this new traffic analysis and ultimately it amounted to the County agreeing to a significant improvement to the roadway.”

The Canton Township issue above was solved through a construction project and timing of the signals. Most of your signal timing issues can be solved with a fairly easy review of the specific road traffic counts and movements and then minor re-programming. Keep in mind that sometimes the most important part of this signal timing review could be pedestrian safety too.

If you need help on signal timing optimization or traffic studies to solve your back ups and traffic congestion, F&V has the experience. We use traffic signal modernization and synchronization to reduce travel delays for all modes of transportation. For information on the traffic studies or funding that can be used to support studies that reduce emissions, contact Fleis & VandenBrink’s Mike Labadie at 800.494.5202 or mlabadie@fveng.com.

Re-timing BenefitsReduction in Travel Time 7-13%Reduction in Delays 15-37%Benefit-to-Cost Ratio 40:1

PROPER SIGNAL RE-TIMING CAN REDUCE RED LIGHTS

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Address: ____________________________________________________________

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In order to minimize our environmental footprint, F&V would like to provide you with future newsletters via email. If you would like to receive future newsletters electronically, email us at newsletters@fveng.com.

PRESORTED STANDARDUS POSTAGE PAIDGRAND RAPIDS MI

PERMIT NO 848

“We needed to make sure when these two schools were built that the one mile section of road did not become a major

traffic issue,”– Bill Serchak, Engineer

Canton Township

In this Issue:Proper Signal Re-timing Can Reduce Red Lights

YES! Please send me more information or change your mailing list!Simply email us at newsletters@fveng.com or fax this sheet to F&V in:

Grand Rapids616.977.1005Grand Blanc810.743.1797Or mail to our corporate office at:Farmington Hills800.832.90382960 Lucerne Drive, SEKalamazoo269.382.6972Grand Rapids, MI 49546Midland989.837.3290www.fveng.comMuskegon231.726.2200Traverse City231.932.8700

Name: ______________________________________________________________

City / Village / Township: ________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________

City: ________________________State: _________Zip Code: ___________

Phone: _____________________________ Fax: ____________________________

In order to minimize our environmental footprint, F&V would like to provide you with future newsletters via email. If you would like to receive future newsletters electronically, email us at newsletters@fveng.com.

PRESORTED STANDARDUS POSTAGE PAIDGRAND RAPIDS MI

PERMIT NO 848

“We needed to make sure when these two schools were built that the one mile section of road did not become a major

traffic issue,”– Bill Serchak, Engineer

Canton Township

In this Issue:Proper Signal Re-timing Can Reduce Red Lights