FINE-TUNING TRAFFIC SIGNALS CAMERAS TO TWEAK SYSTEM.Byline: Judy O'Rourke Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - New technology will help manage traffic around the city. Seventeen closed-circuit cameras linked by 13 miles of fiber optic cable Noun 1. fiber optic cable - a cable made of optical fibers that can transmit large amounts of information at the speed of light fibre optic cable transmission line, cable, line - a conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power will allow traffic engineers at City Hall to monitor key intersections, letting them adjust traffic signals to make traffic flow better. ``We will be able to change timing to accommodate traffic conditions and we can ask Field Services or the Sheriff's Department to control traffic manually,'' said Andrew Yi, city traffic engineer. Real-time video images will be transmitted to two 46-inch flat-screen plasma TVs in the city's operations center The facility or location on an installation, base, or facility used by the commander to command, control, and coordinate all crisis activities. See also base defense operations center; command center. . The images will not be recorded, though they could be in the future. Images as far away as 1,500 to 2,000 feet could be captured by the cameras, which can be aimed by remote control. ``It's going to allow us to have more eyes out there,'' said Cesar Romo, assistant traffic engineer. ``We can be reactive to traffic.'' Installation of the $3.5 million project began in August and is expected to be finished by June. Once the system is fine-tuned, drivers who observe the speed limit could expect to pass through four or five intersections in a row without being stopped by a red signal, said assistant engineer Terry Brice. Other agencies may eventually be able to tap into the camera system. The County of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Caltrans and the Sheriff's and Fire departments could be given access codes, Brice said. Only one remote user at a time would be able to pivot the cameras. Satellite city operations at Central Park and the Santa Clarita Aquatic Center may also be able to join the network, gaining the ability to ``talk'' with computers and phone lines at City Hall. Cameras will be positioned at intersections that include ones along Valencia Boulevard, Magic Mountain Parkway, Bouquet Canyon Road, Soledad Canyon Soledad Canyon is a long narrow canyon / valley located in Los Angeles County, California between the cities of Palmdale and Santa Clarita. Soledad Canyon contains the localities of Vincent, Acton, Ravenna, and Agua Dulce. Road, Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling , Lyons Avenue, San Fernando Road San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the and Orchard Village Road. Judy O'Rourke, (661) 257-5255 judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com |
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