The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a well-organized Regional Traffic Signal Operations Program (RTSOP) for the Strategic Regional Arterial (SRA) system in the Rockford Region. The SRA system is a network of highways designed to accommodate long distance regional traffic, compliment a region’s major transit and highway facilities, and supplement the freeway system, the SRA system and other key interjurisdictional arterials.

These roadways are key for passenger and freight movement in the region as many commercial and industrial companies have located themselves along this system to take advantage of mobility it provides to and from other major routes in the region: US-20, IL-2, IL-251, and I-90/39. It is important to keep functionality and performance of this roadway system at a maximum level of service (LOS) so that it remains the most efficient way to navigate long distances within the urban area.

The output of this project will be a Regional Traffic Signal Management Plan, which will look at a total of two roadway corridors: Riverside Boulevard and Alpine Road. Two individual arterial implementation studies were completed for these corridors, the Riverside Boulevard Corridor Study and the Alpine Road Corridor Study. The Riverside Blvd study was completed in 2022 and the Alpine Rd study will be completed this year. Both studies were conducted independently of each other, and the same consultant, Iteris, worked on both to maintain consistency. The Regional Traffic Signal Management Plan will incorporate content from both of these studies, providing a framework that highlights improved traffic signal management and coordination, reduced congestion during peak hours, and enhanced pedestrian safety.

To address system inefficiencies along Riverside Boulevard, Region 1 Planning Council (R1) contracted Iteris, Inc (Iteris) to identify intersection improvements along approximately nine miles of roadway from N. Central Avenue to Lyford Road covering 20 intersections. Intersection improvements includes updating crosswalks to improve protection for pedestrians while modernizing the signal equipment to make maintenance easier and more efficient. The final report is being wrapped up and will include data collection relevant to traffic and operations, a review of the existing conditions, development of optimized traffic signal timings, recommendations for hardware/software equipment, and implementation phases and costs.

Region 1 Planning Council (R1) contracted Iteris, Inc. (Iteris) to provide professional traffic engineering services for a Signal Coordination and Timing Study along Alpine Road from Sandy Hollow Road to IL 173/West Lane Road in the Cities of Loves Park and Rockford, IL. The scope of this work is to identify intersection improvements on the corridor that would enhance the experience for all users of the roadway and include data collection relevant to traffic and operations at 46 study intersections, a review of the existing conditions, development of optimized traffic signal timings, recommendations for hardware/software equipment, and implementation phases and costs.