Traffic Management Program Working: How’s Your Drive?

A pilot traffic management program is already paying off, according to Yvonne Williams, CEO of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts.

Before a presentation to Dunwoody City Council, Monday, Williams said the Perimeter Traffic Operations Program started in 2012 with a focus on three major roadways - Ashford Dunwoody Road, Perimeter Center West/Abernathy, and Peachtree Dunwoody Road – has already shown a 40 percent improvement in traffic flow and more 200,000 hours saved in vehicle travel time. Part of those improvements are a result of the completed Diverging Diamond Interchange.

How has your commute been through the Perimeter area in recent months, especially during rush hour? Tell us in the comments below.

“This is going to have a national connotation of what works well when you find innovative solutions to projects and deliver them in three years vs. 30 years." Williams said.

Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and Brookhaven, along with the PCIDs and Dekalb County are participants in PTOP, which was funded by the Georgia Department of Transportation for $2.78 million. 

Alvin James of Kimley Horn explained that program traffic signals were retimed, and infrastructure upgrades were made at 99 traffic lights with the goal of moving people from one point to another faster. They started with Ashford Dunwoody Road, Perimeter Center West/Abernathy, and Peachtree Dunwoody Road and worked out from those corridors, he said. 

The beauty of PTOP is how it’s monitored remotely, he added. Cameras are located throughout the participating cities to monitor and address traffic problems. PTOP’s hub is located at the Sandy Springs Traffic Management Center in the City Hall complex, but technicians can retime signals from wherever they are.

So far Sandy Springs has 13 cameras online that can be monitored remotely. Dunwoody and Brookhaven are scheduled to have eight online in the next year.

“One of the challenges that we face in this area is that there are some capacity constraints. When I-285 shuts down, Ga. 400 shuts down, everything shuts down,” James said. “But if there are issues on Ashford Dunwoody and we have the ability to [fix them]…Having this system online provides us with the ability to actively manage that [traffic patterns] and make changes.”

Tell us if you’ve experienced a noticeable improvement in your commute.