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When stopped at intersections in various towns across Connecticut, drivers may notice what appear to be bell-shaped pieces of equipment mounted on the mast arms holding up the traffic signals.
They're 360-degree cameras - but they aren't recording or being remotely monitored, state Department of Transportation project manager Kaethe Podgorski said during a recent public presentation. Rather, they're used to detect whether vehicles are waiting in turn lanes.
"It helps the signal controller know which phases to call," Podgorski said. "Like a left-turn phase could be called if there's a car there, or it could be skipped if there's no car there."
"It helps the signal operate more efficiently, particularly during the day when there's more traffic," she said. "And then it also helps it operate more safely at nighttime."
Podgorski explained what the cameras do during virtual presentations on two projects DOT has planned to upgrade traffic signal equipment and infrastructure in more than a dozen municipalities in southwestern and central Connecticut.
The two projects consist of 70 locations in all, according to DOT's website. Construction for both is expected to begin in 2028, wrap up in 2030 and cost an estimated $31 million combined.
Of the total locations, 22 are in line for "full" replacement, which Podgorski said could include the installation of mast arms, signals with retroreflective backplates and vehicle detection equipment, such as the 360-degree cameras.
Such equipment also includes white rectangular devices that use radar to detect vehicles approaching intersections at high speeds, she said.
"Sometimes it's difficult for drivers to decide whether they should stop as the light is changing from yellow to red or if they should go through because they're going too quickly to stop," Podgorski said. "So these types of detectors let the controller know that there's a vehicle approaching, and they can extend the green phase a little bit if it seems like it's going too fast to stop in time."
The pedestrian improvements at the locations could include new sidewalks, crosswalks and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, pedestrian signals with push buttons and signs warning drivers to yield to pedestrians when turning, according to the recent presentations by DOT.
The other 48 locations are up for "partial" replacement, according to the agency's website. At each spot, a signal controller or a mast arm could be replaced. Some locations could also get pedestrian upgrades.
When picking intersections to update, DOT weighs factors including how old the existing equipment is, the condition of the structures holding up the traffic signals and the frequency of maintenance calls, Podgorski said.
The state owns and maintains a total of about 2,800 traffic signals across Connecticut, she said.
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