Phoenix plans to install several more miles of fiber optic cables that will mainly help ensure that Streets Department staff maintain reliable control over traffic signals in those areas.
“The communications and connectivity piece and having that direct connectivity to our traffic management center at city hall is important because that helps us to have a better, more reliable communication than over the air radio transmission,” said Streets Director Kini Knudson during a Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee meeting last week.
Mr. Knudson said the traffic management center monitors the more than 1,200 traffic signals throughout the city and can send maintenance out if needed or take over them remotely, especially in the event of a traffic accident or special event that would cause the signal to be used differently than normal.
