City signals and roadways face upgrade bills as controllers and detection tech age

Traffic and engineering staff told the workshop they have identified numerous intersections running on aging controller and detection equipment and said 'we are going to have to start upgrading these intersections.'

Staff described three tiers of detection and controller upgrades. Basic detection upgrades were discussed in the $26,000 range while radar detection for high-speed bypass locations could reach the mid-$40,000s per intersection. Presenters said the cost of signal upgrades can rise further if associated sidewalk, curb or right-of-way work is required. Staff also cited supply-chain issues and obsolete internal parts that make long-term parts-spares strategies important.

Council members and staff linked traffic-signal upgrades to broader roadway improvements near growth corridors. Several speakers noted that widening projects can reach tens of millions of dollars once property acquisition and right-of-way are included, meaning the city must prioritize which intersections and corridors to upgrade now and which to plan for long-term funding.

Next steps: staff said they will continue to explore grant opportunities (including a CMSV grant mentioned in discussion), prepare prioritized lists of intersections for upgrade and produce cost estimates that include associated sidewalk and right-of-way work.