After almost two decades of work, the city of Edmond in Oklahoma believes it has one of the best intelligent transport systems (ITS) in the industry and is spending $12.5m making it even better.

Mobility is a challenge for growing cities, and Edmond is no different. With the steady population growth comes more people moving around streets and neighbourhoods. The city is now in the middle of a technological upgrade that can help ease some of those problems.

Edmond’s ITS began taking shape in 2006. Today, almost two decades later, the city is equipped with some of the best systems in the industry.

“ITS is traffic signal technology that enables complex signal programming, safety enhancements and real-time feedback,” said Steve Lawrence, the city’s director of engineering. “ITS implementation reduces vehicle delays at intersections by 40 per cent during rush hour and by 75 per cent during off-peak hours. Implementation of earlier ITS phases has reduced collisions by 50 per cent at those intersections.”

ITS includes the use of field devices, communications infrastructure and computers to improve traffic safety and mobility during congested periods, construction activities, maintenance activities, and incidents such as traffic collisions and other emergencies. ITS assists in the overall monitoring of the roadway network for failures and provides tools for allowing the changing of traffic patterns.

“It’s all about creating a connected network that can think and react in real time,” said Corson Smith, the city’s senior transportation engineer. “The field devices, signals, cameras and fibre optic communications all work together to give us a live picture of what’s happening on the roads. That allows us to respond instantly to congestion, be able to adjust signal timing, and even prioritise emergency vehicles, all from the traffic management centre. It’s a smarter, faster way to keep traffic flowing and people safe.”

The traffic management centre (TMC) – soon to be located in the engineering department section of the new City Hall – is where traffic will be monitored for traffic incidents and other traffic congestion issues. The monitoring is accomplished through a network of fibre optic cables that will allow information to flow from the traffic lights to the TMC and back to the traffic lights.

If an incident or congestion issue is detected, the situation will be evaluated and, if an adjustment can be made to help move traffic away from or around that situation, then an appropriate adjustment will be made.

Other benefits include school zone times and devices on fire trucks that pre-empt traffic signals to turn green for approaching emergency vehicles. This technology has improved the response time for first responders. The system also notifies the engineers about equipment failures.

“ITS technology allows signals to be programmed to allow pedestrians a head start to cross for safety,” Lawrence said. “Leading-pedestrian intervals are proven to increase pedestrian safety. Real-time feedback to Edmond traffic engineers enables traffic signals to be controlled around events such as sports tournaments, construction and collisions. It also allows data collection to further enhance traffic flow and safety.”

Work on the fourth phase of ITS began in March. This phase targets 19 intersections along the 33rd Street corridor from Broadway to I-35, as well as key stretches along Bryant Avenue (15th Street to Danforth Road), Boulevard (33rd Street to 2nd Street), and Danforth (Boulevard to Bryant Avenue).

As part of the ongoing ITS upgrade, the contractor will start by installing conduits for fibre optic cables along the Danforth corridor. From there, they will move south on Bryant Avenue towards 15th Street, then proceed along the 33rd Street and Boulevard corridors.

To reduce disruptions to daily commutes, the contractor will replace traffic signal cabinets on Sundays. This scheduling ensures major work is done when traffic is lighter, reducing the impact on travel plans.

“We are making steady progress on the project and currently anticipate completion in August 2026,” Smith said. “At this stage, we have finished approximately 20 per cent of the conduit and pull box installation and, overall, the project is about five per cent complete.”

The upgrades include installing 26km of fibre optic cable, 69km of electrical cables, 19 traffic signal cabinets and controllers, eight school zone systems, 39 flashing yellow left-turn signals, and 197 ADA-compliant pedestrian signals with audible messaging for the visually impaired. Additional features include CCTV cameras, radar vehicle detection, bicycle detection, emergency pre-emption, and 27 battery backup units.

These improvements will align the intersections with the National Transportation Communication for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) standards, connecting them to Edmond’s TMC via fibre optics and the wireless network established in the first phase. Upon completion, 85 per cent of Edmond’s traffic signals will meet modern standards, leaving just 15 per cent operating on outdated technology.

The $12.57m project, awarded to Traffic & Lighting System (www.tlsokc.com) by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (oklahoma.gov/odot.html), is funded with 80 per cent ($10.06m) coming from federal grants and 20 per cent ($2.51m) provided by the city through its 2000 Capital Improvement Sales Tax Fund. With a 450-day timeline, the project is being overseen by engineering firm Freese & Nichols (www.freese.com), with daily inspections and a city representative ensuring adherence to plans.

“We recognise that some roads and intersections also need to be widened,” Lawrence said. “However, ITS allows the most traffic to flow through any given area and is the best value for the taxpayer.”

Learn more about the ITS project at www.edmondok.gov/ITS.