Report: Outdated traffic signals hurt people, the environment

A St. Petersburg-based think tank has outlined how Florida’s archaic traffic signals lead to pedestrian-involved crashes, longer commutes and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The report, “Best Practices: Signalized Intersection Investments,” highlights an urgent need to improve signal timing and responsiveness through artificial intelligence (AI) and new technologies. The Florida Policy Project (FPP) released the study Tuesday.

The University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) conducted the study with a Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority grant. Former Sen. Jeff Brandes, president of the FPP, called the report a call to action.

“The overarching goal is to show the best return on investment in all of transportation is fixing your traffic signals,” Brandes told the Catalyst. “I think now is the time – given this explosion of artificial intelligence and machine learning – to make the investment and digitize our infrastructure.”

Brandes, a St. Petersburg resident, also urges Florida’s leadership to storm-harden traffic signals. Dozens in the city lacked power during Hurricane Helene, and that number soared to over 100 in Hurricane Milton’s aftermath.

“There’s an opportunity for us to improve the power capacity of these facilities,” Brandes added. “But frankly, the number one thing coming out of this is it will improve the lives of the traveling public.”

Researchers at CUTR found that 26.3% of statewide crashes occurred at intersections, and 32.2% led to injuries or deaths. Vulnerable road users (VRUs), like pedestrians and cyclists, accounted for 23.4% of traffic fatalities.

The report states that 83.4% of intersection crashes involving VRUs result in injury or death. The demographic’s fatality rate increased by 7.4% annually between 2019 and 2023.

Traffic accidents in Florida decreased by 20% from 2019 to 2020. However, intersection-related fatal crashes still increased by 5%.

“We’re going to have to make these investments sooner or later,” Brandes said. “We’re saying, make them sooner and improve everybody’s lives now.”

CUTR analyzed 16,694 signalized intersections statewide. The average delay per vehicle was 20.4 seconds, compared to the national average of 18.1.

The total daily delay per signal was 178.3 hours, far exceeding the national average (117.4). That resulted in vehicles spewing an additional 1,328 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

Brandes said the state is a national leader for its self-driving vehicle, electric vehicle, ride-sharing and electric scooter and bicycle policies. He believes “smart” traffic signals that better accommodate VRUs represent a natural progression for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and industry partners.

“This doesn’t require us to build new roads and bridges,” Brandes added. “This is simply taking the existing infrastructure and making it work better, which, I think, we can all agree is a better outcome we all want.”

Former Sen. Jeff Brandes, president of the Florida Policy Project.

The FPP report’s stakeholders believe AI and other rapidly advancing technologies can bring unprecedented safety and mobility improvements to signalized intersections. They also stressed the need for equitable implementation.

“In downtown St. Pete, if you drive 30 miles per hour, you can pretty much get all the lights because they’re timed for a 30-mph run,” Brandes noted. “As soon as you make one turn off the major streets, you’re stuck. Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.

“We can have a system that operates holistically by utilizing these technologies and upgrading the sensors and software.”

The report states that 25% to 40% of signalized intersections nationwide support adaptive control systems. Brandes said digitizing an intersection would cost between $200,000 and $500,000.

However, he said implementing the upgrades at scale would drastically reduce costs and create a “massive impact” over time. Here are the study’s best practices for modernizing intersection infrastructure:

• Short-term: Digitize existing infrastructure for consistent data collection and foster collaborative partnerships and workforce development to optimize resources and accelerate technology deployment.
• Medium-term: Develop uniform statewide protocols and guidelines for systematic maintenance and software upgrades and promote open-data initiatives for intersection management to foster innovation and transparency.
• Long-term: Invest in future-proof design elements to ensure adaptability with evolving technologies and set performance-driven investment goals.

“This isn’t a question of when we get these signalized intersections upgraded – it’s a question of when,” Brandes said. “We’re pushing for the Legislature to make those investments now.”