Traffic Signals & ITS

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Cary builds and operates traffic signals and other Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) on both Cary-maintained roads and state-maintained thoroughfares. The signals are interconnected through both cellular communicators and a network of fiber-optic cables to a centralized Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS).

North Carolina’s Executive Committee for Highway Safety first passed a statewide Vision Zero resolution in 2015.

HH & Cary Pkwy 2

How Do Traffic Signals Get Built?

Traffic signal use and operation are standardized by the U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

Once an intersection has been identified for a traffic signal, through transportation planning, in response to development, or in response to citizen requests, design and construction can be funded via:

Cary’s Town Council, through the annual budget process

NC Department of Transportation, for state-maintained roads

Private Developers

To justify installing or upgrading a traffic signal, a location must meet certain criteria, or "warrants." Traffic signals do not always reduce collisions and, in some instances, can actually increase the frequency of certain types of collisions like rear-end and side-swipe. Chapter 4C of the MUTCD requires that “an engineering study of traffic conditions, pedestrian characteristics, and physical characteristics… be performed to determine whether installation of a traffic control signal is justified” and lists the nine (9) warrants:

How Can I Request a Traffic Signal?

Citizens may request a study by one of Cary’s traffic engineers to determine if a traffic signal is appropriate and feasible. For state-maintained roads, the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will ultimately review any requests for traffic signals.

Requests can be made through Cary311 or directly to NCDOT via their website.

To see if your road is maintained by Cary or NCDOT, check out the Streets by Ownership map here.

Want to learn more about how Cary staff assess traffic volume at intersections? Check out our Traffic Data page.

What are Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)?

ITS is a term for the collective application of computing, sensing and communications technologies to transportation. This includes interconnected traffic signal management, traveler information, connected and autonomous vehicles, advanced warning systems, and many more tools used by Cary, NCDOT and other transportation system operators. You can learn more about ITS in Cary on our Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) and Connected Vehicle (CV) webpages.

Contact Us

All traffic signals in Cary (and even a few of our neighbors’) are operated and maintained by Cary staff. To report an issue or ask a question, reach them at any time using Cary311.