CITY OF NAPERVILLE ADAPTIVE SIGNAL SYSTEM PROJECT WINS 2020 ACEC MERIT AWARD!
L to R: Erica Spolar (HLR Executive VP), Andy Hynes, PE, PTOE (City of Naperville Deputy City Engineer), Nick Halan, EI (HLR Traffic Engineer), Amy McSwane, PE, PTOE (HLR Traffic/Phase I Dept Manager)
Congratulations to the City of Naperville for winning a 2020 ACEC Illinois Merit Award for their Adaptive Signal System project!
The City of Naperville wanted to improve the flow of traffic and reduce overall congestion along Washington Street for the 32,000 residents, commuters, and visitors who travel the route each day. The City partnered with Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR) to optimize traffic signal timings located along Washington Street and Aurora Avenue to alleviate congestion and address resident concerns about the unpredictable swings in traffic volumes from large traffic generators such as local schools, businesses, and frequent special events. Because these surges do not always occur during peak hours and the current traffic signals could not adjust for changes on the fly, the City was looking for a more creative solution.
Typically traffic signal timings are a set of timing patterns programmed to run at certain times of the day and can only be changed by someone manually adjusting the setting in the controller; however, the adaptive traffic control system is a type of traffic management strategy in which traffic signal timing changes, or adapts, based on actual traffic demand in real-time. HLR improved traffic signal timings at 32 intersections in the City by integrating them into a new central traffic signal management system running adaptive signal control and optimizing their parameters. The signals were separated into three control zones (see below) based on the characteristics of the roadway networks and new wireless magnetometer vehicle detection systems were installed to accurately calculate current traffic conditions.
HLR went beyond the scope of the project and also shortened extremely long pedestrian timings which greatly improved the operations of the entire system and successfully improved traffic flow. The resulting reduction in travel time throughout the Washington Street corridor also reduces emissions by decreasing the time drivers spend idling in traffic, and drivers benefit by spending less time driving through the corridor, allowing them to save time on their commute or perform other activities.
To learn more about traffic engineering at HLR, click here.
