Miami to collaborate with county to sync traffic signals

Miami is moving to modernize and sync all its traffic lights, a step that could put the city among the few major metropolitan areas in the US to achieve complete signal synchronization.

The Miami City Commission discussed the plan March 12, examining how syn­chronizing signals could ease congestion, reduce accidents and prioritize the most dangerous intersections. Commissioners asked departments to collaborate with Miami-Dade County, assess the viability of synchronizing all city traffic lights and report back in April, after which the com­mission will decide on next steps.

Commissioner Ralph Rosado noted that Los Angeles in 2013 became the world’s first major city to synchronize all its traffic lights, spanning more than 4,500 signals. The city’s Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control system uses cameras and sen­sors to adjust light timing, reducing travel times on key corridors by roughly 12% and overall congestion by up to 16%.

“I think we are comparable in terms of traffic and land uses to LA, and I’d like to see us do some research on how we can work with the county to expedite that in terms of the city of Miami,” Mr. Rosado said. He highlighted resident complaints about misaligned signals and requested that the city manager and public works director coordinate with the county to prioritize Miami’s traffic lights.

Mr. Rosado also addressed safety con­cerns, referencing a countywide analysis of the 100 most dangerous intersections, many of which are within the City of Miami.

“I’d like to see us get regular updates on what we’re doing to address the most danger­ous intersections from that list… I’d like to see an update at one of the April meetings as to where we stand,” he said, adding that the commission would determine next steps after reviewing that information.

Miami-Dade operates and maintains nearly 3,000 traffic signals, managed from a central­ized Traffic Management Center using an Advanced Traffic Management System. The county has already updated roughly 2,900 intersections with “smarter” technology as part of a multi-year modernization project.

Mayor Eileen Higgins noted that the county has invested millions to upgrade every traffic signal and recommended invit­ing county officials to provide a progress update. “It’s certainly a multi-year imple­mentation, because every signal has to be upgraded to become a smart signal,” she said, emphasizing the scale of the effort.

City staff confirmed that they have already requested a briefing from county officials and will continue outreach and col­laboration to ensure Miami stays informed on the project’s progress.

Commissioner Damian Pardo highlight­ed the urgency, saying, “This is probably the most important project for our county. I know that for the folks in downtown, Edgewater, Brickell … traffic is just un­bearable.” He added that the city is fully committed to working with the county to help address the problem and support the project wherever possible.

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