Traffic Signal Management Initiatives in the Village of Oak Park

The Village of Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb immediately west of the City of Chicago, recently completed the installation of a system wide Traffic Signal Management System (TSMS). This system allows for real time monitoring and control of the Village’s signalized intersections using ICONS, Advanced Traffic Management System created by Econolite Control Products, Inc. A total of 33 of the 40 signalized intersections the Village owns and maintains are currently connected to the new system. The final 7 intersections will be brought into the system later in 2009. This system continuously monitors traffic conditions at all interconnected intersections. Traffic signal timing plans can be adjusted to maximize traffic progression along the major streets of Ridgeland Avenue, Oak Park Avenue, Lake Street, Madison Street and Chicago Avenue. The Village is the second municipality in the State of Illinois to have such a system linking all of it’s intersections into a Traffic Signal Management System. A map of the system can be seen in Figure 1. The system also has the capability of collecting data on traffic volume and speed along the major streets. Presently Engineering and Street Lighting Division staff are programming the system to collect this data so it can be used to optimize the system at regular intervals. The key to this is having all the system detectors functioning. Maintenance functions are also enhanced with this new system. Should an intersection have a malfunction, the system will send out an alert so that staff can respond to problems in a timely fashion.