S.T.R.E.E.T.S.

S.T.R.E.E.T.S. Heralded by local officials as the first of its kind in the country, S.T.R.E.E.T.S. (Smart Traffic Routing with Efficient and Effective Traffic System) was designed to utilize analytical data from cameras and sensors placed throughout the Dubuque metropolitan area to manage and reroute traffic to improve roadway efficiency.

During the week of December 9, 2020, the Dubuque City Council voted unanimously to initiate a request for proposals to design and implement the system. While similar projects have been implemented at the corridor level in larger cities, Dubuque would be the first entire metropolitan area to set up the system, according to Chandra Ravada, director of transportation and planning for the East Central Intergovernmental Association. David Ness, a local civil engineer, said the program was only possible because of the city's complex network of traffic information gathering equipment. This included intersection cameras, speed tracking devices and sensors already in place. This equipment had previously been used to analyze the implement new traffic policies. The S.T.R.E.E.T.S. program would use the information to adjust the timing of signal lights or to divert traffic in case of accidents.

Future possibilities included notifications for drivers on their telephones using such programs as Google Maps.

Both the state and federal governments indicated interest in the project and were contributing funds toward the estimated cost of $3.7 million. The City of Dubuque was responsible for an estimated $575,000. The system would begin operations by mid-2023 and involve only 33 of the city's 115 intersections with most located on the cities west end.

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Source:

1. Kruse, John, "City Gearing Up for Smarter System to Manage Traffic," Telegraph Herald, December 9, 2020, p. 1A