Northbound I-15 through Temecula and Murrieta is about to get a high-tech stress test. A $33.5 million smart-freeway pilot covering roughly eight miles of the freeway is set to fire up next Monday, using sensors and coordinated ramp meters at three of the corridor’s busiest on-ramps to calm the daily brake-light parade without adding a single new lane.
The two-year demonstration will be closely watched by local transportation agencies, which plan to track whether the system actually delivers on its promises of better travel times and improved safety or just adds one more set of lights to gripe about.
According to MyNewsLA, Riverside County Transportation Commission Chair Raymond Gregory called the activation “an exciting step forward for Riverside County.” The pilot will operate from the San Diego/Riverside county line in Temecula north to the I-15/I-215 interchange in Murrieta, with ramp meters deployed at Temecula Parkway, Rancho California Road and Winchester Road during peak hours.
How the pilot will work
The Riverside County Transportation Commission says the project will rely on tire-level sensors on the freeway and detectors on the ramps so the meters can adjust in real time and coordinate across the whole corridor, according to the Riverside County Transportation Commission. The goal is to let more cars through when the mainline can handle them and briefly hold traffic back when needed to prevent backups from snowballing…