Project Scope

The project includes a system-wide evaluation and improvement to the Town’s current traffic-management operations, which includes traffic signals, closed-circuit cameras (CCTV), travel-demand detection, traffic-data collection, and local and central-system traffic-management software and hardware. The project will also include an evaluation of our traffic system communication network and communication upgrades so that our Traffic Management Center (TMC) can effectively communicate with our traffic signals and other supporting traffic-monitoring devices.

Project Cost and Schedule

The estimated total project cost is $2,900,000, which includes engineering evaluation and design, hardware and software modernization, and upgrades. Funding for this project was approved by Cary voters as part of the 2012 Community Investment Bonds referendum.

The schedule for this project is summarized as follows:

• Engineering Evaluation & Design (Summer 2013 – Spring 2015)
• Installation of Traffic Signal System Upgrades (Summer 2015 – Summer 2016)

Project Background

Cary’s Traffic Signal System is comprised of approximately 170 traffic signals, 24 CCTV cameras, and approximately 100 miles of fiber-optic communication cable. The demand for new traffic signals has steadily increased as Cary’s land development and population have increased. The growth trend in Cary is expected to further increase the demand pressures on our aging traffic signal system. Cary’s traffic signal system is nearly ten years old and is aging quickly toward the end of its design life cycle. Modernization of software and hardware systems that run traffic devices is needed now to greatly enhance and improve the effectiveness of future traffic operations in Town.

Today’s newer traffic-management software and hardware products within the marketplace offer more advanced and flexible traffic-management tools that will improve traffic-signal-system operations, functionality, and data-collection capabilities. These improved and advanced features will allow the Town to make enhanced traffic-operation decisions, improve efficiencies in overall traffic signal system timing, reduce traffic congestion and delays, and improve air quality by reducing idle time of vehicles at intersections.