Perimeter traffic signal synchronization project — 1 year later
Traffic signal timing along three corridors was synchronized by May 2013:
- Ashford Dunwoody Road
- Peachtree Dunwoody Road
- Perimeter Center West / Abernathy Road
Traffic signal timing along these corridors was synchronized by August 2013:
- Hammond Road
- Perimeter Center Parkway
- Mount Vernon Road
- Chamblee Dunwoody Road
- Johnson Ferry Road
- Glenridge Road
First-year accomplishments:
- Interconnected 76 signals via fiber-optic cable to the Sandy Springs Traffic Control Center, which allows for the live management of the traffic.
- An annual time and fuel cost savings of $30.20 per vehicle, per year and a total of $3.9 million in savings for the 215,000 vehicles that pass through the Perimeter area each day. That's based on a value of $12 per hour for motorists' time and $3.50 per gallon for gasoline.
- Area commuters saved an average of 32 hours of travel time per vehicle, per year.
- Average vehicular delay (stopped time) was reduced by 29 percent.
- Fuel consumption was reduced by 1.23 gallons per vehicle per year, or a total of 640 gallons per day for all drivers.
- Daily pollutant emissions were reduced by a total of 2.86 pounds per vehicle, per year, or a total of 1,490 pounds per year.
By the numbers
99: Total number of traffic signals
86: Number of signals that needed upgrades
45: Signals monitored by Sandy Springs Traffic Control Center prior to the program
20: Signals that were linked to the DeKalb County Traffic Control Center, but not actively monitored
76: Signals now monitored by Sandy Springs Traffic Control Center
Perimeter-area commuters are spending less time slamming on their brakes and are saving about 32 hours a year in travel time in portions of Sandy Springs, Dunwoody and Brookhaven.
That’s because over the past year, traffic signals have been synchronized and three out of four traffic signals in the area have been linked through fiber-optic cable to the Sandy Springs Traffic Control Center, according to Yvonne Williams, president of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts. Engineers use video cameras to monitor the signals and tweak the timing to minimize delays based on the flow of traffic.
Travel time studies show that efforts from the first year of the three-year program, funded by a $2.8 million grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation, have improved speeds and helped to smooth out traffic snarls for the 215,000 vehicles that pass through the Perimeter area each day. The program was implemented by the DeKalb and Fulton Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (which are self-taxing business districts) and their selected consultant company, Kimley-Horn and Associates.
