Seeing Networks in New York City

Traffic Signal Controllers

These dark green signal control boxes attached to traffic signal posts are just one piece of a massive system of networked objects. The system, designed by the North Carolina-based transit services company TransitScore, combines data collected by real-time traffic cameras, RFID (radio frequency identification) scanners, and other field sensors to create traffic signal times that adapt to the immediate conditions of traffic. Each signal control box contains wireless routing equipment and traffic controllers that connect back to a fiber hub. The little green dome on top of the signal control is actually a powerful wireless router used for communicating with the other sensors in the traffic network and the city’s Traffic Management Center in Long Island City.

This system, initially piloted in 2011 and slowly rolled out to the city’s over 12,500 traffic signals, relies heavily on NYCWiN, the city-wide broadband wireless network project initially created for emergency first responders. Construction of the network began in 2006 under a $500 million contract with defense contractor Northrop Grumman ($20 million of which came from a DHS grant), and the network became operational in 2009. Many regarded the project as a failure given its limited use (primarily by the Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection rather than law enforcement) and exorbitant cost (around $40 million annually just to maintain). The city tried to sell the network back to Northrop Grumman in 2011, but the contractor didn’t want it.

Despite NYCWin’s shortcomings supporting law enforcement, their use in the city’s traffic systems has made it fantastically easy to share traffic data with law enforcement rapidly and seamlessly.