Glendale City Council has signed on for the next phase of changing traffic signal timing along Bell Road. The next phase will change the timing of 13 signals along Bell Road from 69th Avenue in Glendale to 39th Avenue in Phoenix.

Adaptive signal control technology monitors the amount of traffic in each direction at different times of days and adjusts the signals to keep traffic flowing and minimize wait times at the light. The Federal Highway Administration claims these systems can also reduce emissions and fuel consumption by 10% or more.

“The primary benefit of this technology over conventional signal systems is that it is more responsive to traffic patterns as they occur, thereby reducing vehicle emissions, fuel consumption and travel times,” Glendale Traffic Engineer Debbie Albert told Independent Newsmedia in 2018.

Phase 1, completed in 2019, changed the timing of signals at 52 intersections, 13 of which were in Glendale at 99th through 73rd Avenues. The other 39 signals in Phase 1 were west of Glendale. Phase 2 will include eight intersections in Glendale — from 69th Avenue to 53rd Avenue — two on county land and three in Phoenix.

All but 6% of the $1.1 million cost for Phase 2 of the project is being paid for with federal and local funds secured through Maricopa Association of Government’s Transportation Improvement Program. Glendale is chipping in $41,268 for the signals in its city. Phoenix is paying 15,476 and Maricopa County is paying 10,317.