Traffic Engineering staff in Mobile City said the department has connected traffic signals into a coordinated network and retimed them to help manage game-day crowds at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

The work began after a traffic study conducted when South Alabama resumed home games at the stadium, staff said. "We were able to take that study and through it and multiple other projects connect the traffic signals to a network and retime them," the Traffic Engineering staff member said, adding that the city has "developed all those plans that we can push remotely even from a laptop with a Wi Fi connection." The system is intended to speed safe entry and exit for large events.

City officials said the approach aims to balance movement for roughly 25,000 spectators and regular traffic. "If 25,000 people are all trying to go to the same place at the same time, we have to manage that," the Traffic Engineering staff member said. They added that the program "can make your trip into the game and out of the game much better than it would be if this didn't exist." A stadium operations staff member described the fan experience as "a really fun environment that you don't get from your couch" and said staff work to keep attendees engaged from kickoff to the end of the game.

Staff said the same signal-management capabilities now cover signalized intersections across Mobile City, managed from a central command center the department described as a small traffic management center. "If it's a signalized intersection in Mobile, we can now see it from our central command center," the Traffic Engineering staff member said, and noted the network connections were completed within the past year.

The department pointed to improvements on Airport Boulevard after targeted retiming work. "If you've been driving down Airport Boulevard and notice that your travel times have improved, it's not an accident," the Traffic Engineering staff member said, and added that future projects are planned to further reduce travel times.

Officials also emphasized workforce development, saying the program will rely on more engineers and technicians learning the advanced systems. The Traffic Engineering staff member said hiring and training will help the city expand operations.

No formal votes or policy changes were recorded during the discussion; staff framed the remarks as operational updates and upcoming work on signal timing and training.