The City of Dover has installed innovative technologies at 17 intersections within the Central Avenue corridor to coordinate traffic signals and improve traffic flow. Traffic lights are connected wirelessly to the City’s central traffic server that constantly monitors traffic flow within the system and notifies staff when an issue arises.
Dover’s Deputy Community Services Director Bill Boulanger, who is managing the project says it is going to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion, and allow for on-the-fly changes to respond to whatever is happening on the roads.
The $811,875 project is made possible from $649,500 in grants from the Federal Highway Administration Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration Grants Program administered by the NH Department of Transportation and a 20% match from the City. Dover worked with Sebago Technics of South Portland, Maine, to deploy the technology, the first in NH.
New traffic signal controllers, vehicle and pedestrian detection equipment, travel time recording devices and communication upgrades will allow the City to accurately count vehicles, including a breakdown of cars and trucks, how long vehicles are stopped at traffic lights, and travel times through the corridor.
Part of the enhancements also includes integrating the City’s central traffic management system with the DOT’s. That will allow the DOT to deploy emergency signal changes to aid traffic flow along the corridor in the event of a significant traffic accident on the Spaulding Turnpike.
A video detailing the project can be viewed here: https://dovernh.viebit.com/player.php?hash=WPwgOuxNGoqm
Over the next 12 months, Dover and Sebago will monitor traffic data and implement new traffic signal coordination. They are asking drivers who use the corridor to provide feedback: https://conta.cc/3pFYtQl.
Current Issue - April 2024