Sarasota plans traffic improvement

EAST COUNTY — Sarasota and Manatee counties are moving forward with plans to install a pilot traffic-signal system both counties hope will improve the flow of vehicles along University Parkway.

Sarasota commissioners last week gave their approval for county staff to proceed with a joint venture with the Florida Department of Transportation to install the InSync traffic signal system.

The system minimizes motorist delays at intersections by using cameras to monitor vehicle backups at traffic lights. By monitoring where the most cars are sitting at intersections, the system can turn traffic lights green to move vehicles through intersections more efficiently.

“It’s just a completely different approach,” said Jim Harriot, Sarasota County’s director of public works. “The places that have installed it have shown a real benefit, sometimes up to 70% improvement in traffic flow. I don’t know we’ll see that, but we are confident we will see improvement.”

InSync’s website boasts that in Topeka, Kan., the system reduced stops by 79%, delays by 68% and travel time by 43%. In Upper Merion, Pa., it reduced stops by 21%, delays by 34% and travel time by 26%.

Sarasota County staff now will work out an agreement with FDOT; it will be presented to the board at a future date. Harriot said the total project cost is about $700,000. FDOT would purchase the equipment and Sarasota County would install the equipment and work with a vendor to work out operational elements for about $250,000 of the total cost.

Harriot said he hopes to have the new system operational by the end of December, although that timeline might be ambitious.

Installation of the cameras will take a few months.

Manatee County also will install the system on the three traffic signals it maintains east of I-75. Sage Kamiya, deputy director of traffic management, said equipment should arrive this fall and installation should be complete by summer 2015.

Manatee County received the agreement from FDOT Aug. 25, and will take it before the board sometime in October.

FDOT estimates its equipment contribution costs at $160,000, while Manatee would spend just less than $80,000 for installation of the system, Kamiya said.

The University Parkway corridor was identified for the project because of the opening of the Mall at University Town Center, events at Nathan Benderson Park and growth in the area, overall, Harriot said.

Sarasota County maintains both sides of the roadway, which straddles the Sarasota/Manatee county line, east to Interstate 75.

“University has a lot going on,” Harriot said. “We felt it was a good candidate because of what could be fairly significant shifts in traffic flow.”

If traffic improvements are not seen along University Parkway, the equipment could be removed and installed somewhere else in the county, Harriot said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].