Central ND News

The City of Bismarck is advancing its traffic control systems with new technologies and infrastructure to manage the increasing complexity of urban traffic. The integration of fiberoptic cables and cloud-based software, Centracs, into the city's traffic management is a significant step in modernizing how traffic signals and patterns are controlled.

Christopher Holzer, Bismarck Traffic Engineer, highlighted the benefits of this system: "Traffic control is a whole package and Centracs is part of the package," he said. This technology provides live video streaming from detection cameras at intersections, enabling real-time adjustments to traffic flow based on collected data.

However, challenges remain. "When mainline has more traffic than the side street, we give more green time to mainline," explained Holzer. Emergency responses can also disrupt normal signal cycles but are crucial for safety. As Holzer noted, "It’s when things are working poorly, people notice."

Centracs includes AI capabilities that suggest adjustments throughout the day. While not yet fully autonomous, it offers valuable insights for human operators. "Some of the quirks are still being worked out," said Holzer about the AI's current limitations.

In terms of infrastructure updates, Paul Lies from Traffic Maintenance emphasized transitioning from outdated equipment to modern standards like fiber optics: “Today they are basically computers,” Lies remarked about contemporary systems compared to older mechanical setups.

The Bismarck Fire Department utilizes an Emergency Vehicle Preemption device to manage intersections during emergencies efficiently. Fire Chief Joel Boespflug stressed its importance: “A fire engine is about 55,000 pounds... They don’t stop on a dime.”

Efforts by local authorities aim to reduce accidents at high-risk intersections through collaborative measures between engineering teams and law enforcement. Lt. Jeff Solemsaas from Bismarck Police Department commented on using collision reports for strategic improvements: “We work closely with Engineering to reduce traffic collisions.”

As these systems evolve with ongoing technological advancements and infrastructural upgrades, Bismarck aims for safer and more efficient roadways amid growing urban demands.