The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently tested a new system in Berkeley to help keep traffic moving on Interstate 80 as part of the I-80 SMART Corridor Project, which aims to improve traffic in one of the most congested locations in the Bay Area.
The electronic signs have been installed between the Bay Bridge and Carquinez Bridge. Each lane has a sensor that gives drivers information. A green arrow means traffic is flowing. The signs can also tell drivers when to change lanes because of a crash or stall and suggest driving speeds based on conditions.
Roughly 270,000 drivers a day brave a stretch of I-80 near Emeryville. Besides common traffic frustrations among drivers, I-80 has become a magnet for traffic accidents, as one SMART Corridor spokesperson indicated that the interstate produces double the incidents of other Southern California corridors.
Later this year, Caltrans will activate more digital road signs in an effort to continue managing traffic flow and reducing accidents on the interstate.
