The City of Sioux Falls has implemented a new adaptive traffic control system on East 26th Street. Ten intersections from Van Eps Avenue to Highline Avenue recently were equipped with new technology that better detects current traffic counts and adjusts traffic signals in real time, not to preset patterns. The new technology will improve traffic flow for the more than 25,000 commuters per day along this corridor. “
East 26th Street is one of the busiest in Sioux Falls. Two school zones, a railroad crossing, and the I-229 interchange make efficient traffic flow even more challenging along this corridor,” says Heath Hoftiezer, Principal Traffic Engineer for the City of Sioux Falls. “The City is collecting independent data on travel times, traffic volumes, and queue lengths to measure the effects this system has on the corridor.”
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) As a result of the adaptive traffic technology, drivers will experience shorter travel times, fewer stops, a reduction in fuel consumption, and a safer commute. This project was financed with surplus funds collected in 2012, and the total cost of the system is $317,000.
“The City Council made it possible for our team to install the first system of this kind in Sioux Falls and in South Dakota,” said Mark Cotter, Director of Public Works for the City. “We ask that drivers on this stretch of East 26th Street pay special attention if they are waiting at the traffic lights, because the signals may not cycle in the same way. Motorists will notice a positive difference.”
The South Dakota Department of Transportation is looking at options to install adaptive traffic technology on 41st Street. Other future installations are being assessed by the City and will be based on traffic levels and existing infrastructure to support the system. For more information on this project and technology, go to www.siouxfalls.org/26.