Tyler expands traffic signal retiming to keep drivers moving

For many drivers, the difference between a frustrating commute and a smooth one can come down to a single green light. In Tyler, a long-term effort to better coordinate traffic signals is helping more drivers spend less time waiting at intersections.

On Wednesday, March 11, the City Council approved a $167,868 contract with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for the Intelligent Transportation System Master Plan Year 6 - Traffic Signal Timing Improvements.

Year 6 will focus on 26 intersections across several key corridors, including Southeast Loop 323, Beckham Avenue, Troup Highway, Shiloh Road, and East Grande Boulevard. Seventeen of the intersections were addressed in earlier years and will receive updated timing based on current traffic patterns, while nine intersections will be retimed for the first time.

The project includes collecting new traffic data, analyzing turning movements and travel patterns, developing updated signal timing plans, and fine-tuning the system in the field to make sure it performs as intended.

In 2025, Year 5 of the program retimed 28 intersections, resulting in an annual reduction of more than 152,000 hours of vehicle delay and more than $5.9 million in estimated peak-period savings for drivers. Improvements were made along corridors, including South Broadway Avenue, the East Loop, East Front Street, and East Fifth Street.

Overall, the program has retimed 101 of Tyler's 151 signalized intersections, spanning 10 major corridors and more than 34 miles of roadway. Together, those improvements are estimated to save drivers more than 975,000 hours of delay each year, representing over $33 million in annual delay cost savings.

One example of the program's impact can be seen on Broadway Avenue, historically one of the most congested corridors in Tyler. Five years ago, the roadway ranked among the 50 most congested in Texas according to the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Since signal timing improvements and investments in traffic signal equipment began, its ranking has steadily improved. By 2025, Broadway had dropped to 120th place, reflecting the coordinated signal and equipment updates along the corridor.

This project will be paid for with the Half Cent Sales Tax Fund.