Traffic Operations

Traffic Signals Operation and Maintenance - Countywide

The City of Gainesville is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all traffic signals, school zone flashing beacons, flashing stop signs and intersection warning beacons throughout Alachua County. This includes the other municipalities, the unincorporated area of Alachua County and the University of Florida campus. Each individual entity is responsible for funding the installation of these devices and then contracts with the City of Gainesville to maintain and operate them. Currently, the City of Gainesville is working in partnership with Alachua County, University of Florida, North Florida Regional Planning Council and the Florida Department of Transportation to install a state-of-the-art Traffic Management System. Click Here for more information on this project. If the “Frequently Asked Questions” section does not address your question, please click on the following link to e-mail us at: Traffic Operations Questions

Traffic Signals FAQs
Q.	How do we get a traffic signal?
A.	Federal and State regulations dictate when and where a traffic signal can be installed. Certain traffic volumes must be satisfied on both the major road and the minor road. Traffic crash history can also be considered in determining the need for a traffic signal. If you are interested in requesting a traffic signal, a study must be performed. That study is performed by the government having jurisdiction over the intersection. If one of the roads involved is a state highway, the Florida Department of Transportation has jurisdiction and the request must be made to the FDOT.
Q.	What does a traffic signal cost?
A.	The current cost for the installation of a new traffic signal is approximately $250,000. This is approximately the same as the cost for the reconstruction of an existing traffic signal. The annual electrical cost for the operation of a traffic signal is $1,500 per year per traffic signal. The annual maintenance cost of a traffic signal is approximately $3,500 per year per traffic signal.
Q.	If I have a question about the operation of a traffic signal, who do I contact?
A.	During normal business hours, you can contact the Traffic Operations Section directly at 334-2155. If a traffic signal is malfunctioning (i.e. completely out, flashing red one direction, or the yellow or other indications are out, etc.), you can contact the Combined Communications Center (CCC) operated by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office 24 hours each day at the non-emergency number of 955-1818. The City has someone on call 24 hours each day, 365 days each year and we are dispatched, after hours, by the CCC. If you have a general question, you can click on the link below to e-mail our staff.
Q.	What is the status of the Traffic Management System project that will improve the timing of traffic signals and other safety features?
A.	http://ggclerks/webportal/Portals/pubworks/City-County%20TMS%2002-02-07.ppt

Pedestrian Traffic Signals FAQs
Q.	How do pedestrian traffic signals work?
A.	The operation of pedestrian traffic signals, like vehicular traffic signals, is dictated by state and federal standards. In general, a pedestrian must press the pedestrian push button to activate the pedestrian traffic signal. You must then wait for the appropriate time period in the traffic signal cycle, just like a vehicle. By pressing the appropriate pedestrian push button, you notify the traffic signal controller that you are present and want to cross the street. The signal will provide the programmed time for you to cross the street.
Q.	What do the pedestrian traffic signal indications mean?
A.	The solid “WALK” indication is the time for the pedestrian to start crossing the street. This indication is displayed for between 4 to 7 seconds. It is not designed for the pedestrian to completely cross the street. The flashing “DON’T WALK” indication is the time for a pedestrian to complete crossing the street. The flashing “DON’T WALK” time is computed based upon an average walking speed of 4 feet per second and crossing the entire crosswalk from curb to curb. The length of time the flashing “DON’T WALK” is on varies from intersection to intersection and is calculated by taking the width of the crosswalk and dividing it by the average walking speed. During both the “WALK” period and the flashing “DON’T WALK” period, vehicles are required to yield to pedestrians lawfully in the crosswalk. The simplest explanation for the pedestrian traffic signals is to compare them to vehicular traffic signals. The “WALK” period is like the green light – it is the time for pedestrians to enter the crosswalk to cross the street. The flashing “DON’T WALK” is like the yellow light – if you are already in the crosswalk, finish crossing the street; if you haven’t started into the crosswalk, you don’t have time to cross the street. The solid “DON’T WALK” is like the red light – you don’t have the right of way to cross the street and conflicting vehicle movements may have the right of way.

School Speed Zones FAQs
Q.	How do you establish school speed zones?
A.	School speed zones are established by Florida Statute. Only public schools and charter schools are eligible for school speed zones. An engineering study must be performed to determine if the area complies with the criteria set forth by Florida Statute before a school speed zone is established. This includes the presence of school children walking to school and crossing the affected street in the area immediately adjacent to the school. Click here to view the Hazardous Walking Statute.
Q.	What are the times for a school speed zone to be in effect?
A.	Florida Statutes dictate this as well. For the morning time, the school speed zone is in effect from 30 minutes prior to the start of school until 15 minutes after the start of school. If the school offers an officially recognized breakfast program, then the speed zone is in effect from 30 minutes prior to the start of the breakfast program until 15 minutes after the start of school. For the afternoon or dismissal, the school speed zone is in effect from 15 minutes prior to the dismissal of school until 30 minutes after school is dismissed.These times are dictated by Florida Statute and there is no provision in the statutes for varying these times. Click here for current flashing school zone times for schools in the City.

Traffic Signs and Markings:

Traffic Signs and Marking is responsible for the installation and maintenance of traffic signs and pavement markings on City of Gainesville-owned streets. The City is responsible for approximately 350 miles of centerline streets inside the City limits. The Alachua County Public Works Department and the Florida Department of Transportation are responsible for traffic signs and pavement markings on the roads inside the City Limits that are owned by those agencies, respectively. The determination of the installation of a traffic sign is an engineering decision made by the Public Works Department. State and federal standards set forth the requirements for the installation of traffic signs and pavement markings. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), produced and published by the Federal Highway Administration, sets forth the standards and design of signs for federal, state, county, local and private roads. If the “Frequently Asked Questions” section doesn’t address your question, please e-mail us at Traffic Operations Questions

Traffic Signs and Markings FAQs
Q.	How do we get a speed limit sign in our neighborhood?
A.	Florida Statutes establish speed limits on residential roadways at 30 MPH. The City can establish a neighborhood speed limit of 25 MPH if conditions warrant such action. Speed limits posted below 25 MPH are reserved for elementary and middle school speed zones and roadways with sub-standard design conditions. The policy of the Public Works Department is to install one speed limit sign at each entrance of a neighborhood. Signs interior to the neighborhood are only installed if the speed limit changes from that posted at the entrance.
Q.	We have a lot of children in our neighborhood or on our street, how do we get a “children at play” sign?
A.	The MUTCD establishes what signs can and cannot be installed on a public roadway. The “Children at Play” sign is not an approved sign. The main reason being that the sign has no clear meaning. By posting the sign, we have implied that it is now safer for children to play in the street but, in fact, nothing has been done to make it safe to play in the street. It provides a false sense of security for the parents. The secondary reason is that it would have no effect on traffic speeds. If this were an approved sign, it would be installed on almost every street in Gainesville, which would mean that no street is any different than the next and it becomes an ignored sign. The City installs playground signs when a public playground is adjacent to a public street. This sign provides a clear meaning; a motorist should expect to see a congregation of children at a public playground.
Q.	Can I have another Stop Sign to slow down traffic in my neighborhood?
A.	Stop signs are designed to be used for right-of-way assignment, not speed control. If you feel you have speeding problems in your neighborhood, click here to visit the Residential Traffic Calming Program page.