Texas Comptroller Susan Combs announced that 15 cities and one county have been selected to receive $6 million in federal stimulus grants for traffic signal projects in Texas. The money will be used to synchronize traffic lights and to install light emitting diodes (LEDs) in traffic signals.
The stimulus grants will be administered by the Comptroller’s State Energy Conservation Office as part of the Transportation Efficiency Program.
“These grants will be used for projects that will benefit residents in several ways,” said Combs. “All the entities plan to use the funds to either create or upgrade systems to synchronize traffic lights along well travelled roads. Timing green lights will lead to better traffic flow, helping drivers save time on their commutes, and it will also help air quality by reducing emissions from cars idling too long at stop lights.”
Some entities will also use funds to replace traffic signal bulbs with clusters of tiny red, yellow and green LEDs at those signals. This can reduce electricity use by almost 85 percent at a signal because of the difference in wattage, helping them cut down on their utility costs.
The following entities have been selected for the federal stimulus grants: Bedford, $1,856,000; Fort Worth, $750,000; Grand Prairie, $419,900; Allen, $392,500; Bryan, $373,866; North Richland Hills, $362,500; Cedar Hill, $308,688; Grapevine, $308,000; Killeen, $270,080; Beaumont, $251,590; Montgomery County, $191,195; Missouri City, $166,880; Frisco, $134,400; Brownsville, $100,000; Cedar Park, $86,400; and Waco, $28,000.
Find more information on the Traffic Signal Project grants at www.secostimulus.org.