Client

Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT)

Location

Metro Atlanta, GA

Services

Engineering

For more than a decade, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has added advanced capability and the latest technology to proactively manage signal performance. Referred to as SigOps, GDOT’s signal management approach leverages this technology to pinpoint issues faster and across more locations using remote sources. As a result, SigOps has significantly expanded the number of actively managed traffic signals across Georgia.

As part of a three-year contract, Gresham Smith supports GDOT and local government agencies in the Atlanta area with this cutting-edge traffic signal operations program. By helping GDOT implement its statewide vision for proactive signal management, our Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O) team helps the Department support additional signals, delivering greater benefits across the region and to the communities in the project area.

3
year contract
1,700
traffic signals
21
maintaining agencies
An intersection with a person walking in a GDOT vest

A Wide Reach

Gresham Smith’s Western Region SigOps contract with GDOT includes signals in Cobb, Clayton, Douglas and Fulton counties, and encompasses approximately 1,700 traffic signals within the project footprint. As part of an integrated team, our signal technicians and engineers constantly analyze traffic patterns and make adjustments to traffic signal operations to improve traffic flow and safety.

A person working on wires in a utility box

Always On

When you’re a signal technician, every day is different. That’s why we’ve developed our monitoring environment using Microsoft Teams and PowerBI, which allows us to track areas of concern and quickly communicate issues and our response to our clients. In addition, every quarter, we report on a variety of performance metrics, such as arrivals on green and detection uptime to focus our resources where we can make the most impact. The end result for motorists? A smoother trip!

People in yellow vests look at a laptop for GDOT’s SigOps

Utilizing the Toolbox

Because of the sheer breadth and scale of the traffic signals covered, our team is leveraging GDOT’s signal toolbox, which includes state-of-the-practice signal performance monitoring that enables remote signal management and provides alerts if operational issues are detected. These operational issues can be critical in nature, such as an error in a signal controller where it’s no longer running its normal timing plan of green, yellow, red.

A group of people in yellow vests at a crosswalk for GDOT SigOps

Boots on the Ground

We’re also supporting GDOT and our local agency partners with developing a workforce of the future, which includes training and advancing event management practices along these corridors.
Coupled with the use of existing and emerging technology, our boots-on-the-ground presence helps make travel safer and more efficient in the Metro Atlanta area—whether it’s during rush hour, a major planned sporting event or an unexpected traffic incident.