montgomery county today
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Intelligent Transportation Systems
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are a collection
of interconnected technologies used to collect and
distribute information about the roadway to commuters
so they can make better choices about their route and
respond accordingly to changing roadway conditions
such as traffic, accidents, and weather.
A partial list of the major elements of an ITS system
includes technologies such as:
•
Traffic control centers – oversees the operation of
the region’s highways,
•
Video cameras along highways, used by control
centers to monitor real-time roadway conditions.
•
Electronic (or variable) message signs – display real
-time information to drivers,
•
Traffic light timing and signal preemption,
•
Ramp meters – devices that regulate the flow of
traffic entering freeways according to current traffic
conditions.
These elements work best when they are coordinated
from a traffic control center at the county, regional, or
state level. In Montgomery County, this is done out of
the PennDOT District 6 Traffic Control Center in King
of Prussia.
¯
Pottstown
Norristown
Lansdale
Collegeville
Jenkintown
Conshohocken
476
276
76
476
t
u
422
t
u
202
611
100
309
Hatboro
Ambler
Pennsburg
73
663
29
29
73
Existing Cameras and Signs
Cameras and Signs In Design or on TIP
Cameras and Signs Under Construction
Traffic Control Center
FIGURE 62:
ITS Cameras and Signs
Traffic control center at the PennDOT District 6 offices.
Variable message sign on WB Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-
276) in Whitemarsh Township.
Source: PennDOT
Sources: Montgomery County, Delaware Valley Regional
Planning Commission
JURISDICTION
# BRIDGES
ROADWAY MILES
PennDOT
624
748
Pennsylvania Turnpike
129
40
Montgomery County
103
74
Railroads
17
n/a
Total
1,009
3,301
Local municipalities
136
2,439
FIGURE 61:
Roads and Bridges by Jurisdiction
In addition to real-time traffic conditions, ITS is
also an integral element of emergency response
(incident management). An ITS-enabled traffic
signal system gives emergency vehicles with
special devices the ability to automatically change
traffic signals to green (signal preemption),
improving incident response times.
Source: Montgomery County Planning Commission
