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STREETS, TRAFFIC AND DRAINAGE
This year, we will invest $42 million from the Half-Cent Sales Tax fund to modernize our traffic signals, enhance the safety of our streets and increase our drainage capacity. Some of the projects funded include the South Tyler Mobility Study, Year 4 of the Intelligent Transportation Master Plan, drainage improvements to various neighborhoods and other street and pedestrian safety upgrades.
The southside of our City continues to grow, and with it, traffic congestion. To accommodate existing and future demands, we are completing the South Tyler Mobility Study to evaluate existing travel behavior patterns and improve connectivity and traffic flow on South Broadway Avenue.
In 2019, we retimed seven traffic signals on South Broadway through the Intelligent Transportation Master Plan, reducing delays by 32%. Last year, we retimed 18 intersections along Loop 323 and Old Jacksonville Highway, reducing delays by 22%. Between both years, we have updated 70 out of 146 traffic signals and have saved our commuters a total of 409,000 vehicle hours.
As part of the Master Plan, we also installed emergency vehicle preemption software on all traffic signals and all Tyler Fire Department vehicles to enhance safety on emergency runs and reduce response times.
Tylerites can expect smoother commutes, safer streets and smarter traffic lights thanks to these initiatives.
Drainage improvement projects such as the work to Stagecoach Drive, Douglas Boulevard and Thompson Avenue reinforce the storm sewer system and protect the streets and properties in the area from flooding damage.
In November 2023, we completed the reconstruction of Cambridge Road, an investment of $9.5 million. The roadway now accommodates two lanes of traffic with a center turning lane and a five-foot ADA-compliant sidewalk, improving mobility, safety and drainage in the area.
Then, in December, we completed the road reconstruction project on Donna Drive and Melinda Lane. The $944 thousand project replaced water mains, water service lines, curb and gutter, storm sewer drainage systems, and asphalt pavements and installed new driveway approaches.
In 2023, we reconstructed, crack-sealed or overlayed 65.5 miles of roads for a total investment of $9.7 million. This year, we will invest $4.2 million to complete 61 miles.
