PennDOT has identified 160 traffic signals in Montgomery County and the City of Philadelphia along several adjacent arterials to I-76 that, if cohesively and actively managed from a regional traffic management center, would improve mobility throughout the I-76 corridor. Historically, the traffic signals have been managed by individual municipalities and, therefore, not coordinated. However, PennDOT plans to take operational and maintenance responsibilities for these traffic signals with the intention of modernizing the signal equipment and communications to actively control signal operations from a centralized location, building upon the Regional Integrated Multimodal (RIMIS) project. RIMIS is a web-based information exchange network with the ability to connect highway operations centers, transit control centers, and 911 call centers in the Delaware Valley, including PennDOT District 6-0. If successful, this pilot project could be a model for future initiatives in other highly congested corridors. Modern signals will be a crucial element as connected vehicle technology is incorporated into automobiles.
