Here’s what ‘smart’ traffic signals in east Wichita corridor could mean for drivers

By the end of 2024, some traffic signals in east Wichita will be equipped with radios that allow them to communicate back and forth with smart vehicles.

“Right now, it’s really nothing more than letting a driver know when a signal is about to change, which should provide a safer environment and help drivers make better decisions,” Public Works Director Gary Janzen said.

The high-tech signals will be installed on Greenwich Road from Central to Kellogg. Janzen said eventually, signals may be able to advise drivers what the optimum speed is to hit more green lights along the corridor.

The new technology won’t be used to to track vehicles that run red lights or speed through the intersection, Janzen said. “The focus and purpose of this technology is for traffic safety only.”

It’s part of a pilot project for the Kansas Department of Transportation, which gave Wichita a $1 million grant to try out the new technology. The city is also spending $400,000 of its own money on the smart signals.

“Long term, you’ll see over the course of time all vehicles will start to include more of this technology, and what this does is allow us to test, to prove the concept, to see how this works,” Janzen said.

“Some of the car dealerships out along the Greenwich corridor, a little bit higher-end car dealerships, they include technology in those vehicles that can communicate with the signals and the signals can communicate back to the vehicle.”

The city has no formal agreements in place with dealerships, and those contacted by The Eagle had not yet heard of the pilot program.

“Wichita will collect information on the performance of this system and can provide feedback for future projects to KDOT and others regarding data, best practices, lessons learned, etc.,” KDOT spokesperson Tom Hein said in an email.

Similar technology has already been installed at two interchanges along the I-135 corridor in Merriam, Johnson County, part of the Kansas City metro area.

Janzen said connected vehicles will make intersections safer for motorists and pedestrians alike.

“It’s the ability to hopefully make sure people are stopping at red lights, that they know there are other vehicles, that there are potential hazards in the way,” he said

Vehicles equipped with the right software can receive messages about crash threats and other hazards and employ visual and audio alerts to drivers.

The traffic technology will also allow the public works department to frequently evaluate and adjust signal timing to reduce emissions and cut down on travel times, which has been a priority since the public works department launched its “traffic optimization” program in 2017.

Janzen said Douglas Avenue, the main thoroughfare through downtown Wichita, has seen a 40% decrease in travel times since 13 traffic signals from the river to Hydraulic were optimized last year.

Douglas signals can now communicate back and forth with each other, and pedestrian push buttons have been added where they were not already.

Wichita has between 500 and 600 signalized intersections by Janzen’s count, and efforts to help motorists hit more green lights more often are ongoing.

The city’s 10-year capital improvement plan includes $800,000 for traffic improvements and signals in 2023.