Navigating the parkways of downtown Aiken to get easier
“We are going to keep it simple,” said Frommer about the change to the downtown traffic system.
Aiken Public Safety officers and S.C. Department of Transportation officials will start the changeover from the old system to the new one, beginning Sunday.
The lights on Park Avenue from Laurens Street to York Street will be the first ones completed, said Capt. Wendell Hall.
From 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, residents who want to attempt to navigate the roads using the system can do so.
A number of other downtown intersections will be signaled in a similar manner, but police and road crews hope to first work out any kinks on Park Avenue.
“The other intersections will join the system, but determining how quickly that will happen is dependent on how well Sunday goes,” Hall said.
Public Safety will be downtown during the changeover to answer questions.
“This system is supposed to be much simpler for drivers,” Hall said. “… Especially in the circles and squares.”There won’t be any further need for the “circles go, squares no” mnemonic device that has helped drivers navigate downtown intersections for decades.
“If it’s red, stop,” Frommer said. “If it’s green, go.”
The intersections will be marked with signs where there may be some doubt. There are “no right on red” signs. The traffic signals operate on a camera system that changes the light based on the traffic volume. The cameras replace coils or “loops” in the road that for years have been used to sense and detect vehicles and operate the switching equipment.
The cameras now will record the image of a car as it pulls into the frame and adjust the light cycle accordingly.
The devices are not being used to ticket drivers, Frommer said.
“That’s not what this is designed for,” he added.
Aiken Public Safety is giving drivers a 30-day grace period to learn the new syst
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