Commuting along the Route 7 corridor will become a more reliable commute, in terms of time, over the next few months, thanks to new video detectors that are going to be installed along the busy road. U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th) was able to secure $500,000 in federal funding for the new video detectors, which will ease congestion by triggering light changes between Leesburg and Tysons Corner.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), 72,000 vehicles a day travel on that section of Route 7. The video detectors are the latest technology available and will not suffer from the problems that made previous models vulnerable to malfunction.
“We have used these new detectors in Springfield. They have been used at the Springfield Improvement Project and the Wilson Bridge Improvement Project for the last six months. They are working well right now. We haven’t had reports of problems like we’ve had with the other ones,” said VDOT spokesman Ryan Hall.
VDOT currently monitors traffic through data collected from 15,000 metal loops built into the asphalt. “These are not buried in the ground or something that can be hit or damaged by a truck or snowplow,” said Wolf of the new detectors. The upgraded video detectors are mounted on mast arms or on poles.
“The old sensors take eight to 10 [metal detectors] at an intersection. If anything happens to the in-ground sensors, they run in dumb mode and cycle through before changing the light,” said Hall.
CURRENTLY, THE PLAN IS to put the new detectors in at 20 lights along Route 7. “We won’t know the exact number until a contractor has been selected and we have a better understanding of all the costs involved, like labor. There’s a finite amount of money for this project,” said Hall
The new detectors will allow engineers at VDOT’s Smart Traffic Center to adjust timings with more efficiency because they will be getting more consistent data.
“This is important to anybody that drives on Route 7. This will be something very tangible for people that will help them,” said Wolf.
Wolf anticipates they will begin installing the new video detectors along the 24-mile stretch of Route 7 beginning in November. Installation will take two months to complete. “We are looking at a January completion date unless we get hit by heavy snowstorms or something that would slow them down,” said Hall.
“This will be done very quickly. This isn’t help that we’re saying will come in 2010; this will be right away for people,” said Wolf.
Dranesville District supervisor Joan DuBois said that Wolf has been diligent in getting traffic improvements for the area. “I’m very pleased. It’s Frank Wolf coming through again. He’s consistently tried to get his district federal funding for projects like this.”
Dan Scandling, a Wolf spokesman, said, “These will be video detectors that will be able to look down the corridor and manipulate traffic. They will be able to turn the lights green when there is no one coming the other way.”
“If you’re always hitting the light at an intersection yellow, you might start hitting it green with these. You won’t find yourself stopped at the same old intersection. It will give you a little peace of mind. It’s just going to be a more reliable system,” said Hall.
“In the big picture, these 20 intersections will make for a more reliable commute because of the signals. You’ll have less aggravation, but don’t expect all the lights to be green for you,” Hall said.