Charlotte Approves $569k for Fiber Network To Connect East Side Traffic Signals
This infrastructure will link traffic signals stretching from Robinson Church Road to Harrisburg Road.
Charlotte City Council voted Monday night to spend $569,601 on installing 4 miles of fiber optic cable across east Charlotte. This infrastructure will link traffic signals stretching from Robinson Church Road to Harrisburg Road.
The cable allows the Charlotte Department of Transportation to coordinate signals and control traffic flow. "It is literally a cable that connects between traffic signals, that allows us to sync those together," Ashley Landis with CDOT said, per WCNC. "It's also a way for us to manage traffic, if there were an accident or something like that, that we could use our systems to help the flow of traffic better."
CDOT can now prioritize specific streets or CATS bus routes when situations demand it. Landis explained how the system assists with both congestion control and emergency situations.
This spending comes through the city's Strategic Investment Area targeting east Charlotte. Councilman JD Mazuera Arias represents residents there and called the improvements overdue.
"Coming forth to the 21st century," he said. "Ensuring that these roads that have been outdated and not looked after or cared for so long are absolutely taken care of and ensuring the safety of our residents in District Five."
The improvements matter more after the latest Vision Zero report revealed that many intersections with the most injuries sit in District Five. Public safety extends past violent crimes, Mazuera Arias argued.
"Public safety does not only look at violent crimes," Mazuera Arias said. "It looks at sidewalks, bicycles. Are bicyclists safe? Are people having access to internet? Are people being able to walk freely and safely on our sidewalks during a busy intersection?"
This work also connects with bigger city goals. The mobility plan benefits as gaps close and transit access improves, Landis explained. Drivers will encounter brief disruptions while construction crews work on the affected streets.
The city expects completion by the end of 2026.
