Mayor Mary Roishau and traffic superintendent detail how Roswell maintains signals and signs

Mayor Mary Roishau and Derek Crowder, the city’s traffic engineering superintendent, outlined how the City of Roswell maintains traffic signals, street lighting and signs and how the system supports emergency response.

Derek Crowder said his team handles “all the traffic signals… all the signage within the city of Roswell” and is also responsible for city-owned pedestrian lighting, school zone flashers, lane markings and the fiber network that connects signals and city facilities. The department operates a traffic control center that monitors many signals and some live camera feeds and dispatches technicians 24/7; Crowder said technicians have a two-hour response target for signal malfunctions.

Why this matters: traffic signals and signage shape everyday safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists; they also link to emergency response by giving first responders a clear path through intersections.

How the system works: Crowder explained the ways the city detects vehicles at an intersection. “One is inductance, which is a loop that we put wire in the road… and it tells the traffic signal controller that there’s a vehicle sitting there,” he said, describing the conventional loops cut into pavement. He also described newer radar sensors mounted on poles that “bounce back like a beam” and are used where loops cannot be cut, such as on brick pavers or private drives.

Emergency preemption: Roswell runs a Glance system that equips emergency vehicles and signal cabinets to communicate via radio and GPS. Crowder described how the vehicle’s GPS and speed data tell the controller an apparatus is approaching; the controller then adjusts signals to create a green path for the vehicle. “It’s shooting this… radar down and bounces back,” he said of the detection technology, and of preemption explained that the controller will “turn the signal green” to move traffic out of the way. Crowder noted police vehicles do not yet have the device but confirmed it can be added.

Signs and standards: Crowder cited the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as the federal/state standard that determines which sign types and sizes are used so motorists see consistent signage across jurisdictions. He said Roswell operates its own sign shop and produces both standard and custom signs, including overhead street-name signs that use standard fonts but are customized by roadway.

From request to installation: a sign request is drafted with sign software, plotted on film, applied to a metal sign blank, trimmed, protected and then installed. Crowder said the department maintains spare signs and a sign truck so crews can replace damaged or stolen signs quickly. “Signs usually last anywhere from 7 to 10 years based on… the sun,” he said when asked about longevity.

Other responsibilities and staffing: Crowder said the department handles special-event and emergency roadway closures (water-main breaks, gas-line incidents, downed trees) using a road-closure kit and crews trained for those responses. He also said the city maintains more than 500 street lights and that signals, signage and striping all work together to reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflicts.

What residents should notice: Crowder said residents may see better compliance and smoother signal flow as the department tunes timings and maintains equipment. He emphasized the team’s focus on safety and prompt repairs.

The episode ended with Mayor Roishau thanking Crowder and inviting listeners to visit the city’s signal and sign shop segment of Inside Roswell.