Georgia DOT partners with Intelight to install 1,000 smart traffic signals

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has partnered with Intelight to install 1,000 smart traffic signals across the state, as of the end of July. The project is part of an effort to upgrade traffic signals throughout Georgia to an “up-to-the second” controller technology.

GDOT says the updates will keep engineers from relying on citizen complaints or on-site checking of signals. Instead the system will allows the signals to automatically provide real-time feedback to a central system in the agency’s Traffic Operations Center.

“We are thrilled to reach this major milestone on such a quick timeline and look forward to continued deployment throughout the state,” GDOT State Traffic Engineer Andrew Heath says. “The software allows us to understand the performance of each signal by monitoring data that comes in every tenth of a second. Our engineers are able to make real time adjustments to the signals to optimize performance based on actual roadway conditions.”

GDOT’s goal is to install the smart signals at nearly 9,000 intersections, including metropolitan Atlanta, Cartersville, Thomaston, Gwinnett County and Athens-Clark County, and to reach all GDOT-maintained signals across the state by fall 2017.