TUCSON, Ariz. - New traffic timing technology has been activated along an eight-mile stretch on Oracle Road in northwest Tucson.
The technology is meant to track data and alert other traffic signals of the amount of vehicles headed in order to avoid congestion.
"The traffic signal down the road will communicate with the next traffic signal and let it know how big a group of cars is coming. So it allows it to dynamically adjust the traffic signal timing which we have not been able to do in the past," said James DeGrood, the Deputy Director for the Pima Associations of Government.
The technology is placed along Oracle Road between Tangerine Road and Rudasill Road.
The traffic technology was implemented by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Regional Transportation Authority and was funded between the two.
Since being activated, ADOT says it's reduced traffic in the stretch by roughly 10 to 15 percent which equates to about two to three minutes for drivers.
Tom Herrmann, the spokesperson for ADOT, says the reason they chose that stretch of road is because they determined it's one of two primary routes drivers take to get to downtown Tucson.
Herrmann added the technology not only makes the stretch of road safer by simply reducing congestion but also by having more drivers follow the speed limit since they are no longer rushing through one traffic light to try and get through the next.
"Traffic comes in slugs it's not a perfect solution but it's definitely improving conditions on Oracle Road, you may not see it on your commute but on the whole it's reduced traffic delay by about ten percent," said DeGrood.
Since the technology has been successful, Herrmann said they hope to put some of this technology at other traffic signals as well in the future.
