Engineering Inc. - November/December 2006 - 27

M U LT I - P R O J E C T FEATURE The new system relies on video monitoring,
automatic traffic control devices and electronic sensors. David Osborne Las
Vegas Arterial System Gets High-Tech Makeover Kimley-Horn and Associates,
Inc. R esponding to soaring and reduce traffic. In 1999, center to receive
the informa- population growth Kimley-Horn began designing tion and provide
oversight of and clogged roads the project's freeway manage- freeways and
city streets. and freeways, the ment component. The control center concept
and messages can be transmit- City of Las Vegas The plan's pilot project
was was a challenge because most ted from the center to large and state
transportation officials to be completed by the end of big cities use
separate agen- dynamic message signs that confronted the problem with a
2003 to test the traffic tech- cies to monitor freeway and provide
information on every- high-tech solution. nology on a 17-mile stretch of
city street traffic and respond thing from traffic conditions to Realizing
that simply build- Interstate 15 and U.S. High- to incidents without
coordina- travel times. ing new roads and freeways was way 95. Both roads
reach into tion. Integrating operational To aid in coordination, Kim- not
a viable long-term answer, downtown Las Vegas. management of the two was
an ley-Horn held monthly meet- they came up with FAST, short But the pilot
project hit an idea that planners hoped would ings with all local, state
and fed- for Freeway and Arterial System unexpected speed bump when mean
greater efficiency and eral agencies involved. of Transportation. The
system state funding dried up in 2001 reduced costs. We explained to them
every relies on a combination of tools, and Kimley-Horn, already 60 T h e
result was a 66,500- step of the way what we were including video
monitoring, percent complete on its design square-foot Traffic Management
doing and got their feedback, automatic traffic control devices work, had
to come up with a Center, which was completed says David Osborne, Kimley-
and electronic sensors to ease new plan. NDOT decided to in May of 2005.
It features a Horn's systems manager on the congestion and help emergency
split the project into two parts, video wall with 36 monitors project.
vehicles respond more quickly. one to be finished in 2005 and that
broadcasts scenes from the Thanks to the firm's efforts, The idea for the
system was a second to wrap up in 2007. area's busiest roadways trans-
officials hope the estimated first raised in Las Vegas 10 Two key goals of
the first part m i t t e d from more than 50 1,000 people who relocate in
years ago with the comple- were to install electronic devices cameras
throughout greater Las Las Vegas every week, as well tion of a study by
the Nevada on a portion of the pilot cor- Vegas. Traffic signals also can
as the tourists, will have more Department of Transportation ridor, which
would record and be controlled from the center time to enjoy the sites and
the NDOT on how advanced monitor traffic. The second was depending on what
officials casinos because they'll be sitting technology could help control
to design and build a control see from their bird's-eye view, in fewer
traffic jams. 27 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006 ENGINEERING INC.
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2006

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