Reps. Stanley & Lawn lobby for $156K for the installation of a wireless coordination system for 39 identified traffic signals in Waltham.
June 22, 2016
The Honorable Brian S. Dempsey, House Chair
State House, Room 243
Representative Stephen Kulik
State House, Room 238
Representative Todd M. Smola
State House, Room 124
Dear House Members of the Conference Committee:
We are writing to you today to respectfully request that the Conference Committee approve the funding included in the final version of the Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) Senate Budget that will appropriate $156,000 in line-item 2810-0100 for the installation of a wireless coordination system for 39 identified traffic signals in the business district of the City of Waltham.
High levels of traffic congestion in the central business district of Waltham have become a significant problem for residents, businesses, and city officials. Outdated traffic signals are unable to coordinate with each other during hours of peak operation, causing motorists to stop and queue at each traffic signal. This gridlock has detrimental impacts to commerce, productivity, and the environment.
The city has proposed retrofitting traffic signals at each intersection with satellite time-synchronization modules and advanced traffic control software. The new signals would improve traffic flow by synchronizing all of the traffic signals within the system and allow operators to make adjustments in real-time during peak hours. When the volume of vehicles on the road surges, operators will be able to compensate by adjusting the timing of the traffic lights to ease congestion, ensuring that vehicles do not remain in the queue. In the past, such improvements would have required the installation of fiber optic cables at a cost of about $15,000 per intersection. Technological advancements have brought the cost down to about one-quarter of the original price at $4,000 per intersection.
Ask anyone in Waltham what issue the City needs to address the most and a majority, if not all, would answer solving the severe traffic problems all residents, business owners and employees face on a daily basis. Waltham is home to over 3,500 business and professional firms and sees its population more than double everyday as employees, residents and visitors come to Waltham to work, shop and enjoy the many cultural and recreational attractions the City has to offer. Updating the traffic signals in the business district is critical in keeping Waltham competitive in the business sector and improving the quality of life of residents and visitors.
We greatly appreciate the hard work and effort being undertaken by the Conference Committee in developing the budget in what is looking like another difficult fiscal year to plan for and ask that you please give the $156,000 appropriation included in the final FY17 Senate budget the utmost consideration during your deliberations.
Thank you in advance for your time and attention on this important measure.
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Stanley John J. Lawn
9th Middlesex District 10th Middlesex District