Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Broward looks for ways to lighten up
New signal system could enhance traffic flow
Nobody likes being stuck at endless red lights, but there are several stretches across Broward County where the timing of traffic signals historically has been aggravating.
Traffic engineers have identified the spots where drivers are most likely to see red because — even with the synchronization of signals — the roadways have so much traffic. They include: Pines Boulevard near Interstate 75 in Pembroke Pines,
Hallandale Beach Boulevard, in Hallandale Beach, Sunrise Boulevard, in Fort Lauderdale, University Drive near I-595, connecting Plantation and Davie, Southeast 17th Street Causeway, in Fort Lauderdale, Young Circle where U.S.1 intersects Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Commercial Boulevard near State Road 7 and Florida’s Turnpike, Broward Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Davie Boulevard from I-95 to U.S.1. Scott Smernis said he seems to hit every red light on Federal Highway between Fort Lauderdale and his home in Lighthouse Point.
“Traffic engineers need to drive that stretch,” he said. “In addition to it being a total waste of time, it results in significantly more gas being used and pollution being pumped into the air as a trip that should take 15 minutes can take 30 to 40 minutes.”
To combat the problem, the county and the Florida Department of Transportation are turning to a new system of sensors designed to automatically adjust
the length of green lights based on traffic volume and congestion.
The first place to get the new Adaptive Signal Control System is a stretch of Pines Boulevard east and west of I-75. That’s because Pembroke Pines applied for a grant through the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization to pay for it.
While it should make things better, traffic signal timing might get worse during the switchover from the conventional synchronized system, engineers said.
Hallandale Beach has applied for a grant to be the next city to get the new system.
About 55 roadways and more than 1,050 intersections have synchronized traffic signals in Broward, part of a digital upgrade in the works since 2014.
Traffic engineers say they have to adjust the timing every six months to three years depending on the roadway, the amount of traffic, time of day and time of year.
“Major intersections on U.S.1, such as Commercial Boulevard, Oakland Park Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard, need special attention during the peak season,” said Scott Brunner, director of the Broward County Traffic Engineering Division. “[They] are often adjusted multiple times between November and March every year.”