SNEAK A PEEK AT wink BEFORE YOU DRIVE IN CARY

Cary Raises the Bar with Triangle’s First Community-Televised Traffic Images

CARY, NC – Whether they’re coming or going, Cary motorists are reminded to wink before they drive to get real-time video views of Cary’s most popular intersections; wink – the Town of Cary’s traveler information component of the Town’s Traffic Management System – is now available on the Town’s government access channel, CARY TV 11, during wink tv rush hours, 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. , Monday-Friday.  Cary is the first and only municipality in the Triangle to cablecast images on a local government channel; wink views are also being transmitted to NCDOT as part of the project.

Part of the Town’s Advanced Traffic Management System, wink provides live images from a network of 21 digital cameras located throughout Cary, including:  Aviation Parkway at westbound I-40; High House Road at Davis Drive; Walnut Street at U.S. 1/64 northbound ramp; Highway 55 at High House Road; Regency Parkway at Ederlee Drive; Cary Parkway at Tryon Road; Kildaire Farm Road at Tryon Road; Airport Boulevard at I-40; Harrison Avenue at Cary Parkway; Harrison Avenue at Maynard Road; Kildaire Farm Road at Maynard Road; Cary Parkway at Holly Springs Road; Chapel Hill Road at Weston Parkway; Chapel Hill Road at Cary Parkway; Evans Road at Weston Parkway; Evans Road at Cary Parkway; Walnut Street at Dillard Drive; Harrison Avenue at West Chatham Street; Maynard Road at Walnut Street; Kildaire Farm Road at Cary Parkway; and Highway 55 at Carpenter Fire Station Road.  Two additional cameras, already installed at U.S. 1 at U.S. 64 and at Cary Parkway at U.S. 1/64, are expected to be activated later this fall.

“We’re proud to be a leader in providing this kind of service to those who live, work, and visit in Cary ,” said Engineering Director Tim Bailey. “wink is just one of the ways we are going the extra mile to make travel more predictable and safer in our community by helping motorists to make informed decisions about the best routes to reach their destinations.” 

wink represents the Town’s array of traveler information resources, including the new Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) and wink web, to be launched later this year. Through this integrated, interactive Web site, citizens will be able to click on the camera of their choice and view images of primary intersections around the clock, view traffic flow information for specific routes, and much, much more.

The Town of Cary recently completed construction of its Traffic Management Center (TMC) where signal system engineers monitor the traffic cameras via two 61-inch and ten 32-inch television monitors.  With the flick of switch, the engineers can fine-tune signal timing and react to traffic incidents more efficiently.  In fact, they can maneuver the cameras in a circular motion or zoom into specific areas in order to better identify any traffic issues.

“Because these are exactly the same cameras engineers in the TMC are using to address signal system timing to improve traffic flow, citizens should not be surprised if the cameras move while they’re being cablecast on Cary TV,” added Bailey. 

All citizens are invited to visit the second floor of Cary Town Hall , 316 N. Academy St. to see the TMC and traffic cameras in action.  The TMC is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.  

The cost to develop wink tv, $20,300, is included in the $11.5 million total cost of the Advanced Traffic Management System.

Since 2000, the Town of Cary has been providing important government programming 24/7 on Cary TV 11, including meetings of the Cary Town Council and its Operations and Planning and Development committees, Cary ’s Planning and Zoning Board, the Wake County Board of Commissioners, and the Wake County School Board.  The channel also carries local government public arrears shows including Bud-TV, School Connections, and Real Life as well as satellite programming from NASA and Annenberg.  Distributed by Time Warner Cable, Cary TV 11 reaches more than 45,000 households in Cary , Apex, Morrisville, and portions of Holly Springs .

For more on wink, visit Advanced Traffic Management System at www.townofcary.org.  For more about Cary TV, click on the splash page icon at www.townofcary.org.

###

MEDIA NOTE:  Media outlets using wink images will need to incorporate a wink bug into their presentation.  Obtain official versions of the wink logo electronically from Town of Cary Public information.