The Alpharetta City Council has approved spending up to $300,000 on an updated system that automatically turns traffic lights green for an approaching fire apparatus with its emergency lights activated.
The council awarded a five-year contract to Temple Inc. to install and maintain the new traffic preemption system, replacing the present system. Temple was the highest-scoring of two vendors that responded this spring to the city’s request for proposals.
Alpharetta’s current system is more than 20 years old, operates at only 40 of the city’s 129 signalized intersections, and uses line-of-sight technology, staff said in a report to the council.
“New technology is location-based (GPS) and much more efficient at moving traffic through lights upon pre-determined routes,” staff said. The updated technology “will result in improved call response time as well as roadway safety for the public and our first responders.”
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