by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Before the end of September, signs alerting Jacksonville drivers of traffic delays throughout the city should be up and running.
Those signs, which are a part of the Intelligent Transportation System, are a product of years of local advocacy and planning.
“We’ve been working on this for a long time,” said Denise Bunnewith, executive director of the First Coast Metropolitan Planning Organization. “And we’re looking forward to having them come on-line very soon.”
Currently there are about a half-dozen ITS signs in and around downtown Jacksonville that, in the event of an emergency or traffic accident, will flash messages to let drivers know what to expect.
Amber Alerts may also be displayed on the signs, Bunnewith said.
“But there is a lot more to ITS than the signs,” Bunnewith said.
Traffic signalization and an option to call 511 for traffic information would be coming on-line as dollars become available.
The 511 component could be in place by as early as October, she said.
City Council member Lake Ray has advocated the benefits of ITS to other City leaders and elected officials for years.
He said he’s looking forward to seeing more of the system locally. Another component of the system that Ray has touted for years includes a traffic synchronization system that will automatically adjust traffic signals to accommodate the current traffic flow and capacity.
“We’re making progress,” Ray said. “MPO has a consultant on board to provide services we need to develop an ITS master plan.
“We’re going to have a much better idea of what it will include here and how it will look,” he said. “This is very exciting for the city and the surrounding counties.”