TOWN OF CARY INSTALLS FIRST-EVER

DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS

Permanent Signs to Provide Real-Time Travel Information For Area Drivers

CARY, NC – Motorists traveling in the Technology Town of North Carolina will notice a new, high-tech tool to make their commutes easier now that the Town of Cary is installing the Triangle’s first-ever municipal dynamic message signs (DMS) along major roads and highways as part of the $11.5 million Advanced Traffic Management System.  Part of the Town’s continuing effort to improve quality of life, the first sign was installed today at the intersection of N.C. 54 ( Chapel Hill Road ), just east of Trinity Road facing westbound motorists, and 11 additional signs will be installed by April 22, 2006 .  

The dynamic message signs will display real-time information about incidents, traffic, construction, weather or pavement conditions that could affect driver safety and traffic flow.  Also, the signs will notify motorists of future roadwork and special events that may impact travel.  Amber Alerts, ozone alerts and other public safety issues may also be displayed.  At most other times, the signs will remain blank.

“Once again, the Town of Cary is raising the bar in the Triangle for technological integration in municipal operations,” said Town Manager Bill Coleman.  “We believe that our citizens and visitors will benefit greatly from the timely and readily accessible information that the signs will provide.”

Eleven of the signs are 10-feet wide with heights ranging from 3.5 feet to 5.5 feet; these signs will display three lines of 8-inches high text.  Another sign will be 8-by-18 feet and will span the entire northbound lanes of U.S. 1/64; this sign will display three lines of 18-inch text.  An example of the sign display is available here.

“Today’s installation should enable us to activate the Chapel Hill Road sign early next week,” said Project Engineer Dale Privette. “The rest of the signs will be activated as they are installed.”  Privette noted that as part of the initial activation, the sign displays will alternate between test messages and panels with all pixels illuminated for a testing period. Following the short period, the signs will begin displaying important travel information that will be entered by Town management staff.

Current plans call for the remaining signs to be installed at the following locations:  1) Carpenter Fire Station Road, just east of Green Level to Durham Road - facing eastbound motorists; 2) North Harrison Avenue, just south of Weston Parkway - facing southbound motorists; 3) Holly Springs Road at the Swift Creek bridge - facing northbound motorists; 4) Kildaire Farm Road just south of Ten-Ten Road - facing northbound motorists; 5) N.C. 55, just south of Wade Drive - facing northbound motorists; 6) Davis Drive, just south of Park Village Drive - facing northbound motorists; 7) Kildaire Farm Road, just north of Cary Parkway - facing northbound motorists; 8) N.C. 55, just south of Petty Farm Road - facing southbound motorists; 9) Davis Drive, just south of McCrimmon Parkway - facing southbound motorists; and 10) N.C. 54 (Chapel Hill Road), just east of Airport Boulevard - facing eastbound motorists.

The signs are part of the Town’s computerized traffic signal project that once complete late this summer will include 80 miles of new fiber optic cable (integrated with existing signal software), 23 closed circuit TV cameras at key intersections, approximately 130 state-of-the-art traffic signal controller devices, and traffic information integration with the Town’s Web site and cable access channel, Cary TV 11.

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