Regular commuters driving Mount Vernon Road, east bound at Roswell Road, likely have noticed an easier time getting through the intersection. Until late December, afternoon sunshine would cause a daily glitch in the intersection’s traffic light.
“We could predict it almost to the minute,” said Brad Edwards, Director of Transportation and Traffic for the City of Sandy Springs. “At certain times of the year, the setting sun blinds the detection cameras, causing the light to malfunction. We received calls daily about the problem with the issue resolving itself minutes later as the sun edged downward. By that time, the damage to traffic was done.”
The City tried changing the position of the detection device and adding a sun guard to no avail. Edwards said the City found its solution using a ground up approach. In mid-December, the City installed the city’s first Sensys Puck, a wireless sensor device that detects vehicle presence and movement.
“We took Mother Nature out of the equation. The device is embedded in the lane, and it’s not adversely impacted by the weather,” said Kevin Walter, Director of Public Works for the City.
The City utilized both a detection camera and the Sensys Puck sensor at the intersection for several weeks to monitor effectiveness of both. The in-ground sensor provided the best results. Per Edwards, since the sensor was installed, reports of issues at the intersection have dropped to zero.
Edwards added that the City plans to look at the sensor to help with other signal issues where Mother Nature may cause a negative impact.
Photo is used under the Creative Commons license - Photo Credit: Flickr user Horia Varlan
Originally Published: Tuesday, February 07, 2012