THE Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) is planning to adjust the timers of traffic lights on UN Avenue corner DM Cortes to ease traffic congestion in the area, especially during peak hours.
Team said it targets to implement this change in March.
Edwin Jumao-as, Team head, said Tuesday, February 13, 2024, that the new duration of traffic light timers within the intersection will be based on the completion of the new traffic count they had been conducting.
The intersection areas from Pacific Mall Mandaue to Marcelo Fernan Bridge and from City Engineer's Office to Cansaga Bay will be affected by the changes.
At present, the intersection observes traffic timers based on a traffic count conducted five years ago. But Jumao-as has already deemed this ineffective in regulating the area's traffic flow.
Traffic counts are conducted to collect information about the movement of people and vehicles across specific points along a given roadway. These are often used to measure the demand for service on a roadway, the speed along a roadway section, or the travel time between an origin and destination, which are basic measures of the performance of the roadway.
Jumao-as said the assessing team will update the traffic count and submit it to the Team board. The updated count will then be forwarded to Trion Electronics, Mandaue's traffic lights contractor, to adjust the traffic signal timing.
In January, Team was able to successfully adjust the timer of traffic lights within AS Fortuna intersection, which helped regulate the traffic in the area.
Jumao-as said that both intersections are crucial, especially the DM Cortes area where 10-wheeler trucks pass by.
He also pointed out that the UN intersection within the North Bound is often congested, but this can be fixed with an updated traffic timer to ensure a smooth flow of vehicles.
Jumao-as added that at least three Team personnel will be present in the area for 24 hours upon the implementation of the new traffic signal timings to ensure that motorists will adhere to it.
He also said that they will check other city intersections, especially those with heavy traffic flow, to consider updating their traffic counts and timers as well.
In the latest data presented by Team, it was stated that Mandaue has 15 intersections, which include the UN and AS Fortuna, which are equipped with traffic light timers. (HIC)