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Traffic Control Center keeps an eye on your commute

The traffic cameras that King County has installed around the county not only give you a way to monitor traffic before you get in your car, but they also give county traffic engineers tools to improve your trip.

Using its own set of 27 traffic cameras, and a network of other cameras in the region, the King County Road Services Division has set up a new traffic control center (TCC) to improve efficiency and safety along major arterial roads in unincorporated King County.

“The traffic cameras provide real-time roadway information to staff sitting in the TCC, which they use to monitor backups, congestion and accidents,” said Norton Posey, supervising engineer for the county’s Traffic Systems Unit.

“If they see traffic backing up at a signal, they can modify the timing plan for that route,” said Posey. “If there is a serious accident, they can be in immediate contact with the local fire and police departments.”

Posey said King County’s TCC employs the latest Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) tools to address transportation problems and enhance the flow of traffic. The center – which is located in county offices in Seattle – became fully functional early this year. Much of the staff time is focused on two corridors with the most ITS equipment – Northeast 124th Street in Totem Lake and the Trans Valley Corridor that stretches for seven miles between Southcenter and Fairwood.

Using the information gathered from the ITS traffic signal system, cameras and roadway sensors in those two corridors, Posey said staff can:
 
●   Remotely modify signal-timing plans, or change the mode of
     operation of one or more signals;
●   Dispatch maintenance crews to a signal problem;
●   Disseminate travel information via the Internet;
●   Share traffic data with other traffic control centers; and
●   Coordinate with other agencies during emergencies.

The information that feeds into the TCC is also valuable for long-term transportation planning. Current travel times and traffic counts are part of a larger database that is used for travel studies that are developed into traffic models to improve other roadways in the county.

“Whether we’re monitoring the afternoon commute or looking ahead ten years, the goals of the TCC staff are to improve safety, traffic flow, and efficiency on our roadways,” said Posey.
 

Updated:  May 22, 2006

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