NEW YORK— Easing snarled traffic was the goal when the city’s Department of Transportation created Midtown in Motion last July.
The first phase of the program saw traffic engineers monitoring and adjusting traffic signals from Second Avenue to Sixth Avenue, between 42nd Street and 57th Street.
According to data from traffic cameras, microwave sensors, and E-ZPass readers—speeds along the avenues have increased 10 percent from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and taxi speeds throughout the area have increased 8 percent.
“That is less congestion, and the pollution it causes. And it also means thousands of minutes for those who make their way through Midtown each and every day,” said Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the city’s Department of Transportation. She was speaking at department’s traffic control room on Long Island City Tuesday.
Sadik-Khan said phase one—110 square blocks—will soon move to phase two—270 square blocks.
More microwave sensors, traffic video cameras, and E-ZPass readers are part of the enhancement.
Both the city ($580,000) and state are contributing toward the expansion cost—a total of $2.9 million.
Computerized traffic controllers are one of the core elements of the system. Two hundred new ones, part of the expansion, will cost a further $2 million—with $1.6 million coming from the Federal Highway Administration.
“Cities around the world will look to your great city, New York City, a fabulous city by the way, as an example of how to work hard in addressing traffic congestion in urban centers,” said Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez.
Inside the control room, two traffic engineers and other staff monitor traffic conditions 24 hours a day. Though technology guides the system, humans make the final decision.
Spanning the front of the room, television screens display real-time traffic in Midtown. Three large screens have 82 smaller screens within them. Four additional single screens are grouped together on the left-hand side. Staff also has another 20 computer screens, two printers, and a fax machine within its reach.
The traffic control technology is very close to perfect, said a deputy director of system engineering who could not be named. Different choices of rerouting traffic include making all lights on an avenue turn green all at once, and having them turn green sequentially. Engineers can also change the patterns of specific traffic lights.
One computer, the deputy director pointed out, shows recommendations for the previous 15 minutes and the next 15 minutes. At 11:30 a.m., the computer recommended keeping the same pattern as the last 15 minutes. The computer program refreshes every 6 minutes.
“Things could change, a little bit more dynamic, when it gets to noontime, [or] lunchtime, when you have more traffic circulation in the area,” he said.
