PWE's signal timing tackles traffic tie-ups
Retiming serves a moveable feast for drivers
By John Perry
 When Jeffrey Weatherford drives to his TranStar office near the intersection of the Katy Freeway and Loop 610, he sees the traffic flow differently than most.
Like many city employees, Weatherford, manager of Public Works & Engineering’s traffic and operations division, is a suburbanite who commutes to work. His roundtrip drive is 54 miles, Monday through Friday.
If he leaves home by 6:45 a.m., his trip takes about 45 minutes. But if he leaves 15 minutes later, it will take an hour to drive the same distance because of increased traffic. And if there’s a stalled car or an accident, it’s closer to 90 minutes.
Yet even without an incident, there are stretches when he is inching along, such as the Westpark Tollway between the interchanges of FM 1093, FM 1464 and Beltway 8.
But considering that Houston is the fourth largest city in the country, his commute isn’t bad, Weatherford said.
“The perception is that our traffic problems are horrendous. What many people don’t realize is how well our road system actually works. It’s better than New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and even Phoenix,” said Weatherford, formerly a county traffic engineer in Phoenix, Ariz.
“Our freeway system bails us out on a daily basis. Just imagine commuting without Interstates 10 and 45 and U.S. highways 59 and 290.”
But there’s always room for improvement, Weatherford said.
“We’ve already committed to reducing congestion more aggressively than many cities,” Weatherford said.
Optimizing signals
Because drivers must stop for traffic signals along nearly every route they travel, one strategy is the Traffic Signal Timing Optimization Program.
The concept is simple: retime traffic signals to corresponding traffic patterns.
Benefits include a reduction in travel times and fuel consumption.
“Improved traffic flow equals reduced delays,” said Mark McAvoy, administrative manager in PWE’s traffic and transportation division.
“With roughly 2,400 signalized intersections maintained and operated by PWE, signal timing has proven to be the most cost-effective way to improve flow,” McAvoy said.
TSTOP is based at TranStar, 6922 Old Katy Road. Opened in 1996, the 52,000-square-foot building houses a partnership of four government agencies: the city of Houston, Harris County, METRO and the Texas Department of Transportation.
“It has dramatically increased the efficiency of each intersection, far outweighing the cost or inconvenience of widening streets,” McAvoy said.
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