In Carrollton, the City monitors all traffic signals from the Advanced Traffic Management (ATM) center. 

• The ATM center is situated at 1420 Hutton in the South Service Center and operates from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
  • The City welcomes public tours by appointment from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
  • For tour appointments, contact the City at 972-466-3000. 
    
    
• The ATM center's traffic signal system uses a Yagi antenna, a directional communication device which facilitates the exchange of information between the traffic lights and the central control center, ensuring effective and coordinated traffic management.
  
  
• The City has the capability to upload or download data from any traffic signal, enabling centralized control over the entire system.
  
  
• Additionally, there are 8 video cameras strategically placed across the city, connected to the ATM center through microwave antennas. All solar-powered school flashers in the City are also centrally managed at the ATM center.

The City of Carrollton standards for new or upgraded signals call for the use of Red, Green, and Pedestrian LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). 

What are LEDs? 

• Light emitting diodes are semiconductors that emit electromagnetic energy, coincident with the change of energy state, at a diode junction.  
  
  
• Simply put, LEDs are miniature lights that use up to 90% less energy than a comparable incandescent light. 

LED Energy Usage Benefits

• A standard signal lamp uses 135 watts and has to be replaced annually. By comparison, red LED signals use very little energy, just 10.5 watts. 
  
  
• The use of LED traffic lamps results in significant reduction in energy and signal maintenance.
   
• The lamp-life of an LED is extended up to 10 years, compared to 1 to 2 years for an incandescent lamp.
  
  
• The use of LED technology also reduces the overall utility bill by reducing the energy consumed at each signal and helps protect the environment since there are fewer harmful emissions (that is, less fossil fuel is required to produce electricity).
  
  

Have you ever noticed a little black, camera-like device on a traffic signal? It's called an Opticom System Detector. Its job is to detect when a fire engine or other authorized vehicle is approaching an intersection and changes the light green so the vehicle can get through the intersection as fast as possible to the scene of an emergency.  After the engine goes through it resumes its normal traffic cycle.

• The Opticom system uses high energy infrared technology to grant authorized vehicles momentary right-of-way at signalized intersections.
  
  
• The Opticom system gives an authorized Carrollton Fire Rescue (CFR) vehicle a green indication as it travels, intersection by intersection.
  
  
• As the CFR vehicle approaches, it sends an encoded, infrared signal that is received, decoded, and validated to give the requesting vehicle a green light on that approach and a red light on all other approaches.
  
  
• Opticom has helped to provide a quicker response for fire equipment to arrive on the scene a little bit sooner.

Pedestrian push buttons are used to activate the pedestrian signals.

You only have to push the button one time to receive a Walk light. It will not make any difference if you hold the button in or push it many times.

All of our pedestrian push buttons are in compliance with ADA (Americans Disability Act) standards.

Pedestrian signals are installed to assist pedestrians in safely cross the street at signalized intersections.

The "Walk" light gets you started crossing the intersection and the flashing " Don't Walk" gives you time to clear the crossing.

The way it works is, the "Walk" time lets you know when it's safe to begin crossing the street and the flashing "Don't' Walk" time allows you to get the rest of the way across the intersection.

If the flashing "Don't Walk" signal is flashing before you step off the curb, you should wait for the next "Walk" signal before crossing.

• Solar powered radio controlled school flashers have been the standard in the City of Carrollton since 1990.
  
  
• The first solar flashers were installed on Peters Colony on August 1, 1990.
  
  
• From the ATM center we can turn on or off any or all the school flasher at any time of the day.

White lights are used by the Carrollton Police Department to assist in the prevention of red light running. This feature allows the Carrollton Police Department to enhance safety at our signalized intersections.

• Each pole has a white light mounted on it and is wired to the red light indicator for that pole.
  
  
• Police officers can park downstream or anywhere where the white light is visible and detect red light runners without having to park at the intersection.
  
  

It's hard to make a traffic signal attractive to the eye. Decorative caps and bases are part of the city's corridor design plan, and have helped to not only make traffic signals a little more attractive, but also help to identify our traffic signals as Carrollton signals, and give Carrollton a unique aesthetic identity.

Overhead street name signs feature the City of Carrollton logo and a block number.

• The sheeting is white and green (or white and blue) and is retroreflective, which is when a surface returns a large portion of directed light beam back to its source. Retroreflective materials appear brightest to observers nearest the light source (such as a motorist).
  
  
• The City uses a sheeting called 3M Diamond grade VIP (Visual Impact Performance).
  
  
  • Unlike other reflective sheeting used by the City, VIP features an advanced prismatic design.
    
    
  • As a result, it provides greater than normal reflectivity and remains highly visible to drivers in all-ambient light conditions including nighttime conditions.
    
    
  • The prismatic cubes on VIP sheeting are specially shaped to return the light from a vehicle's headlights back to the motorist's eyes.
    
    
  • This controlled light-return makes the sign brighter and visible longer, giving motorists more time to respond.

In other areas of the City you may have noticed the fluorescent yellow-green school zone signs and the fluorescent yellow warning signs. The City of Carrollton was among the first cities in the nation to use these colors for school zone use.

In 1978, the City of Carrollton began changing the appearance of its traffic signals from a vertical mounted signal head to a horizontal mount. Doing this provided more clearance over the roadway and a more pleasing look to City traffic signals.

• However, officials discovered that any time the wind blew 15 mph or greater on the backside of the arm, the arm would begin to bounce.
  
  
• Solution: By mounting a flat sign blank, (30"X60") at the end of the arm, they created a "wind wing" that helped divert the wind evenly around the arm, reducing the bounce. 

The wind wing is now the standard used on all signal arms over 25 feet long.