Currently, the City experiences high traffic congestion in the morning and evening peak hours. The high traffic congestion is primarily along Bellaire Boulevard, Bissonnet Street, South Rice Avenue, and Newcastle Street. As the number of vehicles on the road increases, combined with natural disasters and air quality policies, a Traffic Management System that connects Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure that monitors traffic conditions can be used to increase mobility, increase safety, and reduced environmental impacts. The purpose of this project is to improve traffic flow throughout Bellaire by upgrading the technology of 14 traffic signals within the city limits. This would be accomplished by implementing a Traffic Management System (TMS), contingent upon grant funding. It is anticipated that 80% of the project construction would be funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), via Federal Highway Administration funding. A TMS would improve traffic incident detection, response, and clearance times, communication within city department and other agencies, such as TranStar, and allow for better on-site management of incidents. It would improve coordination to the actual response to scenes and the monitoring of impacts of incidents. The TMS will have the ability to monitor the 14 existing traffic signals maintained by the City of Bellaire through the City's Traffic Management Center (TMC), which would be built at the Police Station. The TMS will also monitor any future signals and will connect to the proposed ITS equipment to help monitor the traffic signals. Closed-circuit (CCTV) cameras would be installed at all the traffic signal locations to analyze real-time traffic conditions, which will be useful when managing emergency situations such as a traffic incident or for traffic management on special events. The residents of the City would be able to access real-time traffic conditions with a "Real-Time Traffic Map". One or more dynamic message signs (DMS) would be installed to provide drivers with real-time alerts especially on IH 610 and IH 69. The TMS operation staff will alert drivers about upcoming delays, incident reports, travel times, construction work, safety messages, and special events. The TMS, in conjunction with the DMS's, can help optimize traffic conditions and help drivers get to where they need to go safer, and more efficiently. Loop detector sensors would be installed at each traffic signal intersection to continuously monitor traffic flow (speed, occupancy, and/or volume). The sensors process traffic volumes that help determine the best signal timing plan that matches the current volumes. If a new timing plan is needed, the system would communicate to the traffic signals and switch to a plan that provides adequate "green time" along the roadway corridor. The method of Contractor Selection has not been Determined at this time. Question Deadline 08/11/2023 at 5:00 PM CT
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