The good news is a new computerized traffic signal system will ‘reduce the length of rush hour? on M-24 by making the road function ‘more efficiently,? according to Craig Bryson, spokesman for the Road Commission of Oakland County (RCOC).
The bad news is it’s ‘not going to eliminate congestion on M-24.?
Sometime next year, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will spend about $1 million to install the RCOC’s Faster and Safety Travel through Traffic Routing and Advanced Controls (FAST-TRAC) signal system along the M-24 (Lapeer Road) corridor in Oxford and Orion townships and in the villages of Oxford and Lake Orion.
The project will encompass M-24 from Silver Bell Road to Ray Road and consist of converting 15 traffic signals to FAST-TRAC,
Three of these signals are located in Oxford at Drahner, Burdick and Ray roads.
No new traffic signals will be added to M-24, Bryson said.
FAST-TRAC utilizes video cameras on poles at intersections to measure traffic volumes and the gaps between vehicles.
This data is then fed into a computer at the intersection that instantaneously adjusts the traffic signal timing to most efficiently handle the traffic present at that moment. Through FAST-TRAC, the signal timing is continually adjusted based on traffic.
Based on previous results, FAST-TRAC reduces motorists? travel time by 7 percent during rush hour and 25-30 percent during non-rush hour periods, Bryson said. It does this by reducing the amount of time drivers are forced sit at intersections during red lights.
FAST-TRAC also reduces the number of serious injury accidents at intersections, he said.
By improving traffic flow, FAST-TRAC should ‘reduce the length of rush hour? at the beginning and end, when traffic during that period is at its lightest, thus shortening rush hour’s duration when it’s at its heaviest.
Bryson said the system will also ‘help improve traffic flow the rest of the day? as well.
However, the one thing it won’t do is create less traffic. ‘It’s not going to eliminate congestion on M-24,? Bryson said. ‘You can only do so much when a road is overcapacity. Traffic (on M-24) is growing everyday and getting worse.?
Although Bryson did note that M-24 traffic will be ‘better? under FAST-TRAC that it would be without it.