SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - The city is equipping more streets with adaptive signals that detect traffic counts and adjust signals in real time.
Dustin Brinkman with Rhythm Engineering says the technology has mad a positive impact to traffic flow on 26th Street, reduced crashes and decreased fuel consumption.
Sioux Falls Police Chief Matt Burns says when cars stop less often, the likelihood for crashes also decreases. He says "more smoothly flowing traffic makes for safer commutes and a healthier community."
Ten intersections along 26th Street were equipped with adaptive traffic signal technology in 2014. In the first 1,000 days after the new system was installed, drivers experienced an 8% reduction in delays because of shorter intersection stops and a more than 20% reduction in crashes.
The city will spend $332,754 in the capital improvement plan for lights on Minnesota Avenue and the state will spend $528,056 to put in the smart traffic lights on West 41st Street.
Adaptive traffic signals will go onto Minnesota Avenue and West 41st Street by early summer.
