Cameras above traffic lights at two Parker intersections are not
used to catch illegal activity, but are counting cars to let the
light know when to change signals.
The public works department has traditionally used magnetic
loops placed under the asphalt to count cars, but the advanced
technologically of cameras has more advantages, said Richard
Brandt, public works director.
If the department receives a complaint about a long light, a
public works official can check the tape the camera recorded to
find out how many cars were waiting and for how long before the
light changed, he said.
The official can then determine whether the light cycle needs to
be changed. By just using the magnetic loops the department doesn’t
have any records to check.
“It is a high-tech way to see what is going on in an
intersection,” Brandt said.
The cameras are cheaper in the long run, Brandt said. An
intersection with cameras pointed at all four lanes cost about
$20,000. Each camera and its system cost about $5,000.
The magnetic loops cost up to $8,000 per lane or $32,000 for a
four-lane intersection. The cameras are used in two locations in
Parker, at the intersection of Jordan Road and Lincoln Avenue and
at Mainstreet and Motsenbacher Road.
The Colorado Department of Transportation has switched over to
cameras for its intersection control, but Parker officials will
evaluate an intersection for future problem areas before installing
cameras.