Title
Five-Year T2050 Streets Technology Program
Description
Request City Council approval of Fiscal Years (FY) 2022 and 2023 of the Five-Year Transportation 2050 (T2050) Streets Technology Program.
Report
Summary
As part of the T2050 Streets Technology Program, the Street Transportation Department previously received approval for the replacement of 3,000 damaged and faded illuminated street name signs over a two-year period, left turn arrows at five to seven intersections annually over a five-year period, and repainting all of the traffic signal poles in the City over a 10-year period. To date, over 2,000 illuminated street name signs have been installed. The remaining signs will be installed by FY 2019. Signal poles have been painted at approximately 213 intersections, and an additional five to seven left turn arrows have been installed annually over the last two years.
Proposed Program for FY 2022 and FY 2023
Fiscal years 2022 and 2023 will see the continuation of signal pole painting at intersections. In addition, the Street Transportation Department proposes to add fiber communications and enhanced intersection technology to the five-year program. These additions will enhance operations at intersections, and allow signals to be managed more efficiently by staff at the Traffic Management Center (TMC). The advantages of these technology enhancements include: remote troubleshooting access, improved cost management as compared to traditional in-ground roadway improvements, and the ability to monitor and manage all modes of travel (bicycle, pedestrian, vehicle and transit).
Fiber Communications
The main source of the City's traffic data comes from signalized intersections. Data is processed at a central point where the data can be transferred through rented fiber from third parties or can be owned and operated by the City.
The Street Transportation and Information Technology departments coordinate the installation of fiber at key locations in the City to provide reliable, secure and high speed data links. Using the City's own fiber helps avoid the ongoing costs associated with additional leased data circuits. The proposed Fiber Communications Program will expand the City's fiber network and allow for data to be sent and received more efficiently.
Fiber communication is currently deployed along a master “ring” network throughout the City. Additionally, there are priorities for fiber communication outside of the “ring” network that would provide more reliable communications to infrastructure. As additional technology is added to the existing 1,135 traffic signals in the City, connections to key points around the City’s fiber “ring” network will be required. A summary of priorities is provided in Attachment A - Table 1. In addition, some existing fiber communications will be used in the connection along Baseline Road from Loop 202 to Central Avenue. The average cost to install one mile of fiber cable is approximately $200,000. Current funding allows for two to three miles to be installed each year. The proposed Fiber Communications Program would add approximately $550,000 each year starting in FY 2022, and allow for an additional two to three miles to be installed.
Intersection Technology
The technology used by the City to control traffic is primarily from technologies and methodologies from the 1980s and 1990s. This has served the City well as it is based on our grid street system - half mile and mile spacing of most major corridors. As traffic volumes have increased however, more signalized intersections were added to the grid at spacing other than the half mile and mile. This has reduced our ability to move traffic efficiently in multiple directions simultaneously. Providing more advanced technology at the signalized intersections to monitor the traffic data will help to reduce widespread congestion that is currently occurring.
The City’s TMC also has access to some closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) around the City, but this covers less than 15 percent of the intersections. Enhancing technologies at each intersection will provide the City with real-time operational conditions to be able to adjust signal timing to better move people and traffic.
Upgrades to this technology include:
- Installing new traffic signal controllers which accept additional device integration.
- Adding CCTV monitoring where needed.
- Adding detection technology where needed.
- Adding ARIDs (anonymous re-identification device) that will capture real-time travel time and speed condition data.
This enhanced technology will also enable the intersection to support connected vehicle and rideshare/autonomous vehicles as those advancements change the landscape for roadway design and community mobility in the future.
The intersections where this technology is proposed to be deployed will also need to be upgraded to meet ADA requirements because accurate pedestrian movement and detection is required in implementing signal timing. Upgraded intersections outfitted with appropriate technology for managing the transportation network will become the standard by which all future intersections will be built.
The average cost of one intersection to be outfitted with technology for real-time operational management is approximately $185,000. Current funding allows for approximately five intersections to be completed each year. The proposed Enhanced Intersection Technology Program will add $925,000 per year starting in FY 2023. This will allow approximately five additional intersections to be upgraded annually.
Proposed 5-year Program
Attachment A - Table 2 includes the proposed Five-Year Streets Technology Program for FYs 2019 - 2023. FYs 2019 - 2021 were previously approved. Staff requests approval of FYs 2022 and 2023.
Concurrence/Previous Council Action
The Citizens Transportation Commission recommended approval for this item by a vote of 13-0 at its Oct. 25, 2018, meeting.
This item was recommended for approval at the Aviation and Transportation Subcommittee meeting on Nov. 27, 2018, by a vote of 3-0.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Mario Paniagua and the Street Transportation Department.