AI-Summary – News For Tomorrow
Florence, Kentucky residents voice major concerns about traffic congestion on U.S. 42. City, county, and state officials are exploring solutions, focusing on implementing adaptive traffic signal controls from Ewing Boulevard to Pleasant Valley Road. These “smart signals” will adjust to real-time traffic conditions, unlike the current timer-based system, adapting to rush hour or accidents. Florence city staff will also have manual control for situations like school dismissal. The project’s timeline and cost are currently under review as Florence officials work with consultants. Residents hope road improvements precede further development.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
FLORENCE, Ky. — As part of our “Let’s Talk” series this week, we visited Florence to hear about the things residents feel deserve attention. During the stop, something we heard time and again was traffic concerns.
We set our focus on a stretch of U.S. 42 in Florence, where city, county and state officials are working on solutions to the bumper-to-bumper backups.
“They need to address the roads before they build anything else,” Sarah Sleet of Union said. “We need to improve our roads. And addressing traffic lights is a big issue with that.”
WATCH: After listening to your concerns, we’re looking at possible solutions to traffic congestion on a busy Florence roadway
Real-time adaptation traffic lights planned to minimize backups
The project entails installing new smart signals, or adaptive traffic signal controls, throughout a specific several-mile stretch of U.S. 42, starting at Ewing Boulevard and up past Pleasant Valley Road into Union.
Adaptive traffic signal controls adapt to traffic in real time, versus the current traffic signals on that stretch of U.S. 42, which run on a timer. That means the smart signals can adjust to situations like rush hour or accidents.
The smart signals will also allow Florence city staff to take manual control over traffic light signals and intersections when necessary.
Moore said situations like morning or evening rush hour and school dismissal could warrant manual control of the lights, tailoring traffic signal patterns to whatever congestion issues need to be alleviated.
We are still working to pin down a timeline and price for this project. As of Friday evening, we are waiting to hear back from Florence officials, who are working with consultants to spearhead the plans.
