Mt. Clemens, MI - The Macomb County Department of Roads (MCDR) has been presented with two Transportation Achievement Awards for Traffic Operations and Planning from the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Michigan Section.
The annual ITE awards program honors outstanding achievements and excellence in the advancement of transportation.
“By analyzing data and implementing the latest traffic and safety technologies, the team at the Department of Roads works relentlessly to ensure safe and efficient travel for the residents, motorists and visitors traveling on our roadways,” said Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel. “Macomb County is leading the way with the use of state of the art communication networks, vehicle and mobility detection, traffic monitoring and connected vehicle technology to deliver a high-performing county road system.”
MCDR was recognized for best practices in traffic operations for the agency’s use of data analysis and innovative solutions to identify traffic patterns and improve cross street and left-turn operations throughout the Macomb County road network. Reducing delays on the roadways reduces the potential for motorists to increase their speed or make aggressive and unsafe maneuvers.
“The use of technology is critical to monitoring real-time traffic, signal operations and maximizing safety on our roadways,” said MCDR Director Bryan Santo. “The Department of Roads is equipped to monitor, manage and respond to everything from a routine traffic crash to an escalating emergency event, allowing MCDR to deliver a safe, efficient, and informative traveling experience to the motoring public.”
ITE also recognized the Department of Roads for the agency’s study of available vehicle data to monitor and manage congestion along important arterial corridors. MCDR analysis examined the travel times of 26 corridors in Macomb County and ranked them based on mobility performance metrics, which provides critical data to the department to help plan and prioritize transportation improvement projects.
“The Department of Roads has made significant investments in transportation infrastructure while incorporating the use of latest traffic technology,” said John Abraham, MCDR Director of Traffic and Operations. “We are committed to enhancing our transportation network to support the long-term needs of Macomb County's residents, businesses and communities.”
Macomb County’s advanced communications network is the core of the Communications and Technology Center (COMTEC), a 25,000-square-foot state of the art facility at the Department of Roads that monitors road conditions for the department, residents, motorists and first responders. Under the direction of MCDR, the Traffic Operations Center at COMTEC serves as the hub of activity for operating, maintaining and monitoring Macomb County’s deployments of advanced traffic signal systems, cameras and the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) communications network.
To learn more about the Department of Roads use of transportation technology, visit roads.macombgov.org. Photos of the ITE awards and COMTEC can be found here.