Intelligent Traffic Lights Get the Green Light
The Contraloría General de la República (Comptrollers office) gave the green light to the Consejo de Seguridad Vial (Cosevi) for the purchase, installation and maintenance of "intelligent" traffic lights that are to be part of San José at a cost of us$4.7 million dollars.

The bid was won by the Mexican firm Semex S.A., who will be installing the new equipment within the next 18 months. Semex has the contract to manufacture, install the smart traffic lights as well as the operational centre for traffic control.

According to Viviana Martín, vice-minister of transport, the project will see the installation of traffic lights at 325 intersections in downtown San José, La Uruca, Guadalupe, San Pedro and Pavas.

"The objective is to move traffic in the more populous areas of the city and to reduce the number of accidents and travel time between different points", said Martín.

The minister added that in addition there will be a reduction in the consumption of gasoline and reduce contamination.

The new traffic lights include a sensor at each intersection that report to the traffic control centre to move traffic through intersection, giving preference to the direction of flow of traffic. The time spent at each traffic light is dependent on the volume of traffic and direction at each intersection.

The system will also allow emergency vehicles - Red Cross, fire trucks and police - to be moved through traffic by the control centre. The control centre can manipulate the traffic lights to give emergency vehicles a green light for a faster response to the emergency.

In addition, a number of traffic lights will have a sound warning system for the handicapped. Currently only a handful of traffic lights have such a system where the blind can cross safely through an intersection.