Whats with all the cameras being installed on like every intersection on Braddock road Like Braddock and Burke Station, Braddock and Roberts, Braddock and OX.

Fairfax county has brought them back and you'll see them at alot more intersections.

http://fairfaxstation.patch.com/articles/traffic-signals-insync-on-braddock-road-2


PHIL Wrote:
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> Whats with all the cameras being installed on like
> every intersection on Braddock road Like Braddock
> and Burke Station, Braddock and Roberts, Braddock
> and OX.

notme Wrote:
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> http://fairfaxstation.patch.com/articles/traffic-signals-insync-on-braddock-road-2

Thanks for the link, I was wondering about this myself. They certainly didn't look like your standard red light cameras.

Reproducing the article in case they take it down:

Traffic Signals InSync on Braddock Road

Five intersections in pilot program hoped to ease congestion

By Lori K. Weinraub
August 20, 2011

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is testing an adaptive traffic signal system at five intersections on Braddock Road, between Route 123 and Burke Station Road.

Four cameras have been installed at each of five Braddock Road intersections. According to Michael Clements, the VDOT traffic systems manager in charge of the project, the cameras work with sensors already embedded in the road.

Northern Virginia’s 1,500 traffic signals operate on time of day plans, with at least eight and as many as 16 in place for each signal.

According to Clements, adaptive timing is based on demand and fluctuations in patterns during real time.

For example, if there is a special event at George Mason, the cameras "see" what’s happening and a plan to ease traffic can be generated on the fly, Clements said. Each signal “talks” to the next signal, like traffic cops with walkie talkies, to move the traffic along on a green band.

Traffic in the pilot corridor was measured in May for the “before” part of the test, and will be evaluated in September for comparison. "Engineers want to know whether there were improvements in traffic flow, whether travel time was decreased, and whether there were fewer stops,' Clements said. All this while striving to “do no harm” to traffic on the side streets. "The adaptive system can easily be switched off at any time if there is a problem," Clements said.

So far, Clements has heard the system is working “real well.” By one measure, the backup at Braddock Road and Route 123 has gone from two miles to three-quarters of a mile.

One engineer told Clements that he can’t ever remember traveling that stretch of Braddock Road without stopping at a red light, but he has been able to get through on all greens since the switch.

Clements expects the improvements to continue even as summer vacation ends and classes resume at George Mason. “Braddock Road will remain heavily congested during the peak morning and afternoon rush hours, but the adaptive system should shorten the amount of time the corridor is congested and allow for quicker recovery," he said.

Decreased travel time should continue after rush hour as well, with fewer stops at traffic signals along Braddock Road and shorter delays for motorists on side streets. Clements said other benefits include reduced gas consumption because of fewer stops and starts, and fewer rear end collisions.

The Braddock Road trial is one of 11 in the state's $3 million InSync pilot program. The InSync system was developed by Rhythm Engineering. It's use began at the end of July along Brddock Road.

Elsewhere in the region, the system is being tested in the Warrenton area with good results, Clements said. It is scheduled for testing at 13 intersections along Route 1 in Prince William County beginning in October.

Clements is “a firm believer” in the adaptive system, and says it’s now a matter of seeing how well it works. “We’re trying to use technology to solve some of our congestion problems instead of adding lanes,” he said. “If it works it’s going to save us a lot of money.”

Anyone who drives in the area can tell you that traffic has gotten far worse since these cameras were installed. Leave it to VDOT to spend a lot of money to make matters worse. On the other hand, VDOT deserves credit for giving jobs to the mentally-challenged.

The lights sync on Braddock Rd is totally screwed up and has been for some time. Especially going eastbound. As soon as one light turns green the next one is turning red. I had to deal with VDOT on a repair issue to damage they had done and what a bunch of hillbillies.

When VDOT says it's going to improve traffic flow using new technology, be worried. Be very worried. Like when you hear Obama talk about how he's going to fix the economy.

VDOT is understaffed and is probably burning out the people they have left.

I had to pull a permit from them to get a curb cut for a second driveway. I hope to never have to do it again.

Like a deadbeat, I had to bother them to get my $5,000 cash bond back months after the work was completed - and the work was completed on time without any problems.

I wonder how many bonds they keep because someone (likely a business) forgets about it.

We's wanted to try this dare newfangled technology, even does thev've had it them there embedded road sensors in other places for years. Maybes we'll get wit the times and put in adequate lighting, fluorescent paint and embedded reflective lane markers like the rest of civilization. Ah, whos we kiddings.

Paving over an old dirt road and then putting dozens traffic lights on it for the special interests ( shitty subdivisions) is not effective planning, its a recipe for disaster.

Time to start advocating for limited access highways with cloverleaf exchanges and the decommissioning of traffic lights, right turns only for the fat soccer moms.

wnrsm Wrote:
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> VDOT is understaffed and is probably burning out
> the people they have left.

VDOT's problem is not that they are understaffed, it is that they are overstaffed... With morons.

c c freeman Wrote:
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> The lights sync on Braddock Rd is totally screwed
> up and has been for some time. Especially going
> eastbound. As soon as one light turns green the
> next one is turning red. I had to deal with VDOT
> on a repair issue to damage they had done and what
> a bunch of hillbillies.

It's been horrific this week, they must have screwed something up in the timing (worse). Submitted a complaint on their web site. ugh

Because of the remarks here disparaging our staff, we at VDOT are going to ratchet up the "gridlock" dial on Braddock Rd around GMU. Using our new Omniscient Camera Technology, I'll personally make sure everyone of you has to wait at every single traffic light. When you're tied up endlessly in horrible traffic, we'll see who has the last laugh!

VDOT Supervisor Wrote:
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> Because of the remarks here disparaging our staff,
> we at VDOT are going to ratchet up the "gridlock"
> dial on Braddock Rd around GMU. Using our new
> Omniscient Camera Technology, I'll personally make
> sure everyone of you has to wait at every single
> traffic light. When you're tied up endlessly in
> horrible traffic, we'll see who has the last
> laugh!

That's okay, I'll go around on Pope's Head or 236.