Sparta Approves Traffic Light Project For Emergency Vehicles

The 10 intersections along Sparta’s Bockman Way will soon have siren activated traffic control.

The Board of Aldermen approved the some $130,000 project Thursday night. City Administrator Brad Hennessee said on completion, traffic lights will detect when emergency vehicles are approaching or leaving based on the siren.

“We expect that will be well received with them,” Hennessee said. “They don’t have to do anything other than turn their siren on to activate it. It should be a noticeable reduction in response time for them, but it should also make traveling along Bockman Way and the side streets safer.”

Hennessee said the system will hold the emergency vehicle’s lane to green, so driver’s have time and room to yield. Hennessee said at the same time, opposing lanes will lock to a red light.

“So, somebody that maybe doesn’t hear the siren, they don’t pull out in front of an emergency vehicle,” Hennessee said. “It keeps the light red until the emergency vehicle safely travels through.”

Henenssee said the preemption system detects all three kinds of emergency vehicle sirens. Hennessee said traffic lights will have a two second response time withing 1,000 feet of the vehicle.

“We can go after the three remaining intersections in the next budget year,” Hennessee said. “The one at Walmart, the one at McDonald’s and Spring Street at Turntable Road.”

Hennessee said the project should go out to bid in January and be completed sometime next summer.