ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland is getting smarter traffic signals.
Gov. Larry Hogan announced Wednesday a $50 million plan to deploy a system that uses real-time traffic conditions and computer software to adjust the timing of traffic signals.
The Hogan administration says it will ease congestion for about 700,000 drivers a day on 14 major corridors. Three of them are in Anne Arundel County, two are in Baltimore County and three are in Charles County. Harford and Prince George’s counties will each get smart signals in two corridors. Howard and Montgomery counties will get signals in one corridor each.
“What we want to do is create the greatest value for the investment,” said Greg Slater with the State Highway Administration in explaining how the roadways were chosen.
State highway engineers looked at data collected from Automatic Traffic Recorders placed on some of the region’s busiest roads and then analyzed where congestion was the worst. SHA engineers have a figure for average daily traffic on each road chosen, one that saw in excess of 95,000 vehicles a day.
The signals will go in over the next year, starting with the Maryland 2 Richie Highway signal between Annapolis Harbor Center and Tarragon Lane, Slater said.
14 Smart Signal Corridor Routes:
MD 2 Anne Arundel County – Annapolis – Annapolis Harbor Center to Tarragon Lane
MD 2 Anne Arundel County – Brooklyn Park – Hammonds Lane to 11th Avenue
MD 3 Anne Arundel County – Crofton – MD 450 to St. Stephens Church Road
MD 139 Baltimore County – Towson – Kenilworth Avenue to I-695 Outer Loop Ramp
US 40 Baltimore County – Catonsville – Coleridge Road to Nuwood Drive
MD 5 Business Charles County – Waldorf – Post Office Drive to US 301
MD 228 Charles County – Waldorf – Western Parkway to US 301
US 301 Charles County to Prince George’s – Waldorf Area – Chadds Ford Drive to MD 227
US 1 Business Harford County – Belair – Tollgate Road to Atwood Road
MD 22 Harford County – Aberdeen -Technology Way to North Rogers Street/US 40 Ramp
US 1 Howard County – Jessup/Elkridge – Montgomery Road to MD 175
US 301 Prince George’s County – Bowie – Excalibur Road to Governor’s Bridge Road
MD 202 Prince George’s County – Landover – McCormick Drive to Arena Drive
MD 108 Montgomery County – Olney – MD 182 to Volunteer Drive
Some of the roadways are well known to commuters for causing them headaches.
“The intersections are known to be busy during rush hour,” said Paulette Jones with Prince George’s County public works and transportation.
The counties did not participate in which state roads were chosen, however Jones said she would like to continue to see more traffic mitigation efforts.
“Prince George’s County is currently evaluating infrastructure to determine where a system such as the Smart Signal System can be best utilized,” Jones said.
The governor says this is the second phase of his traffic-relief plan. Last month, he announced a $9 billion plan to add four lanes to I-270, I-495 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
Hogan proposes $9B plan to add new lanes to Beltway, 270 and BW Parkway.
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