BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Hitting every green light on the way to work or heading back home is a feeling hard to beat. And while fiber optic cables and A.I. software can’t ensure you’ll breeze through town, they could still make your time on the road a bit more peaceful.
Bismarck has 109 intersections spread throughout the city, and some get very busy during peak travel times.
However, updates to the city’s traffic control system now allow engineers to access real-time data and make traffic flow adjustments.
This could include how long a light has been on red or other traffic-related complaints.
“As we’ve gotten comments on how the intersections are working, we’ll go and tweak them. You know, make them work better. And pretty soon, we don’t get anymore comment anymore because they’re working optimal,” said Traffic Signal and Street Light Division Superintendent Paul Lies.
It used to take almost two hours to resolve a traffic control issue, now it takes about 35 minutes.
Cameras, placed at 61 of the 109 intersections, also play a vital role in monitoring traffic congestion.
“We can also use it for timing adjustments. If we see traffic is always backing up at this one spot, we can adjust that timing and watch it and make sure it’s working well,” said Traffic Engineer Chris Holzer.
These systems also allow first responders to gain a few seconds in their response time by overriding traffic signals.
“When we’re on an emergency call every second counts. So, if we can make up a few seconds here or there, it allows us to get to the patients and provide care, whatever that is, as quick as possible,” Bismarck Fire Battalion Chief Luke Teagle.
But it isn’t a perfect system.
A sun glare or a frozen camera can trick the system. Also, the software can sometimes take a while to send the correct information to the correct intersection.
City officials believe the updates are beneficial and will get better as technology moves forward and the kinks get worked out.
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