TPO staff outline traffic-signal prioritization study to improve resiliency and safety

The Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization on Jan. 14 heard a status report on a traffic-signal prioritization study that inventories signal conditions countywide and establishes a performance-based methodology to prioritize upgrades.

Wade Reynolds, TPO staff, described an ongoing inventory of about 1,200 signalized intersections maintained across jurisdictions in Hillsborough County. The proposed methodology scores structural condition, cabinet and mounting type, equipment age and span-wire condition, and resiliency factors such as floodplain location, documented flood history and evacuation-route status. Uninterrupted power supply (UPS) availability and other technology elements (flood sensors, remote communications) are included to evaluate an intersection’s ability to remain functional during storms and outages.

Reynolds said the methodology will support standardized applications for Surface Transportation Block Grant funding and enable proactive repair and replacement rather than reactive fixes. He highlighted intersections that scored highly for structural vulnerability and flood exposure and said the next steps are to finish the inventory, incorporate city-collected data, and return next month to the board for approval of the methodology.

Board members asked whether the methodology also accounts for safety metrics such as Vision Zero’s high-injury network, roadway volume measures and pedestrian accessibility of signal buttons. Reynolds and staff said the CAC and TAC recommended awarding additional points for high-injury-network locations and examining pedestrian button accessibility; redundancy questions around substation-level power will require coordination with utilities.

The board did not take a formal vote on adoption at the Jan. 14 meeting; staff will return with a request for approval.