FY27 New Jersey Regional Signal Retiming

Traffic signals play an important role in the safe and efficient operation of the transportation network, particularly along county and local arterial roadways that are increasingly carrying higher volumes of vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit traffic. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that many signals on these arterials could operate more efficiently through updated equipment or revised timing plans. Outdated or poorly coordinated timing contributes to a significant portion of delay on arterial corridors, making signal retiming one of the most cost-effective strategies to improve mobility, enhance safety, and provide environmental benefits.

This effort also supports an integrated corridor management approach, which views corridors as multimodal systems and promotes operational decisions that benefit the entire corridor regardless of ownership. By improving signal coordination and system performance, agencies can better manage growing travel demand while supporting safer and more reliable travel for all users.

As part of the next iteration of the program, a corridor prioritization effort will be conducted to help counties identify and rank the most suitable corridors for retiming. This process will create a clear, data-driven roadmap for future signal optimization investments across the region.

The program will also include the option to install GPS clocks in signal controllers, both for newly retimed corridors and for previously retimed corridors when feasible. GPS clocks provide accurate and consistent time synchronization and prevent time drift that can degrade signal coordination over time. Ensuring clocks remain aligned protects the investment made in timing updates and reduces the need for manual adjustments following outages or seasonal time changes.

The New Jersey Regional Signal Retiming Initiative Project will improve the transportation network by optimizing select signal systems on Routes 500 and 600 in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, and Mercer counties.