According to the King of Prussia Courier, officials in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, are working on a series of traffic signal control projects they believe will improve drive times for commuters in the area of the Upper Merion Township. Workers have installed new adaptive signal control sensors - designed to change signal timing patterns in real-time, cutting down on traffic delays during periods of heavy volume - at 10 intersections in the township.

Adaptive signal control technology and traffic signal synchronization help improve commuter's drive times by changing traffic signal timing patterns to adjust to the demands of the road. When a high volume of commuters travel along a thoroughfare in the morning or evening, for example, green lights may stay green longer, encouraging the heavier traffic to flow more smoothly while giving less green light time to the less heavily-trafficked side streets.

The technology also improves air quality. Idling vehicles are enormously detrimental to air quality, and many municipalities install intelligent traffic solutions to reduce carbon emissions.

The Federal Government is particularly interested in funding these projects through green initiatives, and cities and towns can take advantage of federal funding by exploring the benefits of an intelligent traffic solution. The state of Pennsylvania dedicated over $1 billion in federal funding to highway improvement projects through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.