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ODOT study finds signal warranted at Tyler and Highway 4; city told it will bear installation cost
Summary
An ODOT traffic study concluded a signal is warranted at Tyler and Highway 4, but the state agency will provide only design and engineering; the City of Tuttle would be responsible for full installation costs. Council members also heard updates on traffic-signal technology and new fiber monitoring at sewer lift stations.
An Oklahoma Department of Transportation study confirmed traffic counts meet the threshold for a traffic signal at Tyler and Highway 4, City Manager Aaron said, but the state will not share in installation costs.
"This is the first time that the study came back with traffic count numbers that does in fact warrant a signal at Tyler And Highway 4," Aaron told the City Council. He said ODOT will do the engineering and design but that the city would be "100% responsible for the cost of the installation to a contractor." The city was given a ballpark installation estimate of about $500,000 and a projected timeline of two to three years from the start of design to installation, Aaron said.
Why it matters: a new signal would change traffic patterns at a busy state highway intersection and requires multi-year budget planning. Aaron told the council the city could authorize ODOT to prepare a draft agreement so elected officials could review terms before any money is committed.
Council and staff discussed related signal work at the Highway 37 and Highway 4 intersection. Aaron said the existing signal there uses older camera-based detection and that technology upgrades could allow better timing and remote monitoring from city offices. "The new technology gives us the ability to actually, in real time, see it from my desktop," Aaron said, adding that would speed troubleshooting and reduce staff travel time.
Councilmembers asked whether the equipment could provide emergency-vehicle preemption — letting ambulances or fire trucks trigger a green light. Fire/EMS staff noted ambulances already carry transmitters as required by state statute, but the poles at some intersections lack the receiving equipment. The council asked staff to investigate whether preemption equipment could be included in upgrades or would require a separate purchase.
Separately, Aaron updated the council on a separate technology project: connecting sewer lift stations to fiber to enable remote monitoring. He said the city currently has six lift stations and is taking fiber to each one. "It's been amazing just to see the amount of information that's giving us on the one that's hooked up. I bet probably three or four times we've been able to see the problem days before it actually happened and go out and troubleshoot it," Aaron said, describing preventive repairs that averted costlier failures.
Budget and next steps: Aaron recommended staff proceed with a draft agreement from ODOT so that the council can evaluate timing and fiscal impacts in upcoming budget discussions. He also said staff would check costs and options to add emergency-vehicle preemption receivers to signals.
