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. The Plan will provide a framework for the region in support of traffic signal management and operations, a prioritized list of arterials warranting individual plans, and the development of two to three individual arterial implementation plans.

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 currently 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.