Contract to improve Encinitas traffic signals

The Encinitas City Council on Jan. 13 unanimously approved a $729,267 contract with the firm DBX Incorporated to speed up communications between a traffic management system at City Hall and local traffic signals.

Fiber optic cable will be installed at the signalized corridors of El Camino Real, Encinitas Boulevard, Coast Highway 101, Via Cantebria and Leucadia Boulevard.

This technology will allow city staff to quickly respond to traffic incidents and it provides valuable feedback for optimizing the timing of signals for improved traffic flow, according to a city staff report. The project also includes installing at least 10 new cameras at intersections throughout the city to observe traffic patterns.

The agenda item was on the consent calendar, reserved for routine items of business.

Currently, traffic signals communicate with the city’s traffic management system over copper cables, a method that’s becoming obsolete and cumbersome to maintain, states the report. Funding for the contract is coming from two Highway Safety Improvement Program grants.