RELEASE: CONTACT:

IMMEDIATE Sandy Myers (540) 332-9201 Sandy.Myers@vdot.virginia.gov

STA-085 May 12, 2008

A GREEN APPROACH TO AREA TRAFFIC SIGNALS

STAUNTON – Traffic signal timing coordination for 21 signals on four major highways in the Winchester and Frederick County area is complete thanks to a new program from the Virginia Department of Transportation, focused on system operations.. Work on the signals was done at the following locations:

Route 7 – Signals at both Interstate 81 ramps, Getty Lane, Regency Lakes Drive, Millbrook Road, Greenwood Road and Woods Mill Road.

Route 11 south at Route 37 – Signals at Shawnee Drive, Apple Valley Road, Hood Way and Commonwealth Court.

Route 50 west of Winchester – Signals at both Route 37 ramps, Ward, and Round Hill.

Route 50/522/17 – Signals at Frontage Road, both I-81 ramps. On Route 50 at Tulane Drive, Prince Frederick Drive. On Route 522 at Delco Plaza and Costello Drive.

The signal work cost approximately $120,000 for all four highway corridors. The work is part of the traffic signal optimization initiative under the System Operations program. Optimizing signal timing can improve traffic flow, reduce the risk of rear-end collisions, cause fewer emissions and contribute to fuel savings to the motorist. These benefits will be the result of fewer traffic stops while traveling through the coordinated corridors.

Motorists will experience at 5 to 15 percent improvement in travel time and up to 30 percent reduction in vehicle stops yielding a 5 to 15 reduction in emissions and fuel consumption along the coordinated corridor.

These improvements will also make it quicker and safer for emergency services to respond to calls.

VDOT partnered with the City of Winchester to complete this work with their consultant team of Sabra, Wang and Associates and Whitman Renquert and Associates. Work on the project began in November 2007 and was completed on April 30.

Highway safety is everyone’s responsibility. Virginia’s highway safety partnership — the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and Virginia State Police — challenges you to help prevent highway fatalities. Buckle up. Avoid distractions. Share the road. Drive drug- and alcohol-free. Obey speed limits. For more information on the Highway Safety Challenge and things you can do to avoid becoming Virginia’s next traffic fatality, visit www.safeVAhighways.org.