ITS: Florida DOT to activate new traffic management system

Pasco County and the Florida DOT (FDOT) are expecting to activate a new traffic management system this week.

The $5.7 million intelligent transportation system (ITS) features 27 cameras and 66 upgraded traffic signals at three of Pasco County’s busiest roads. Fiber optic cables connect the cameras and signals, which analyze traffic patterns and adjust signals to reduce congestion. The system will likely reduce congestion immediately, but may take months to fully learn the roads’ traffic patterns.

The traffic system is part of the SunGuide program, FDOT’s 10-year, $110 million effort to ease congestion in the Tampa Bay area. Other improvements include better lighting and the addition of two electronic message boards along S.R. 54, the latter of which provide traffic updates and various other alerts to drivers.

FDOT plans on adding five more electronic message boards to the area by 2018.