Plano City Council members approved a $4.79 million purchase for 240 new traffic signal controller cabinets during a Nov. 11 meeting.
The purchase is the next step toward replacing all of Plano’s traffic signal controller cabinets, which will provide “significantly increased functionality, security enhancements, expanded channel capacity for additional vehicle detection units” across the city, according to meeting documents.
Installing the cabinets will be done through a separate, future procurement, according to city documents. Funding for the replacements come from the fiscal year 2023-24 street improvements portion of the Community Investment Program.
The big picture
Traffic signal controller cabinets control the various timing or actuation plans—a control pattern that maintains a green light for the busiest traffic but gives green when a vehicle approaches from a different direction—programmed for the city’s traffic signals, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
City officials sent the replacement project out to bid in September. The final $4.79 million purchase with Mobotrex LLC was the cheapest of five offers Plano received, according to meeting documents.
In case you missed it
Plano officials approved a related $1.4 million purchase for upgraded controller hardware and software for the city’s 240 traffic signal cabinets in June.
Why now?
If council members had not approved the purchase on Nov. 11, the city would see delays in upgrades and increased end-of-life issues—the traffic signal controller cabinets being replaced are all between 12-20 years old, according to city documents.
Rejecting the purchase would also mean reduced functionality for the upgraded traffic signal controllers and software purchased in June as well as eliminating future technology expansion opportunities.
Stay tuned
A timeline for replacing the 240 traffic signal controller cabinets is expected to be announced at a future date.
