MCDOT Traffic Signals Division

About Traffic Signal Operations

The Signal Operations Division is responsible for the construction and maintenance of 606 traffic signals and 151 flasher devices located on county highways and City of Rochester streets. Work also includes the testing and repair of all signal components. Included in this division is the maintenance responsibility for all components of the computerized signal system.

About Traffic Signal Engineering

One of Traffic Signal Engineering’s main functions is overseeing the Computerized Signal System, housed in the Regional Traffic Operations Center, where it continuously monitors close to 400 traffic signals located mostly on major City of Rochester streets and selected county and New York State highways in the towns of Greece, Henrietta and Irondequoit. This computerized system monitors traffic flow and is capable of selecting varying signal-timing patterns to meet traffic flow conditions. Signal phasing and timing are determined and calls are received and dispatched for the remaining 210 signals and flashers not on the system.

This division is also responsible for conducting traffic engineering studies and analyses, as well as maintaining an ongoing traffic count program and a high accident identification analysis program on county highways and city streets.

To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Traffic Signals Maintained by MCDOT

The Department of Transportation maintains many traffic signals in Rochester, Irondequoit, Henrietta, Greece, and other municipalities in Monroe County. The links on the left of this page provide lists of traffic signal locations which are maintained by Monroe County DOT.

If you experience any problems with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This phone number is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Remember: NYS Motor Vehicle law requires that drivers treat a traffic signal that is totally dark (no red, yellow, or green indications) as a multi-way stop by stopping at the intersection and yielding to other stopped traffic before going through the intersection.

Download the Monroe County DOT Traffic Signals Map (1.92mb PDF).

City of Rochester

The following is a list of traffic signals in the City of Rochester that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of City of Rochester traffic signals.

Town of Brighton

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Brighton that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Brighton traffic signals.

Town of Chili

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Chili that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Chili traffic signals.

Village of East Rochester

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Village of East Rochester that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of East Rochester traffic signals.

Town of Gates

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Gates that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Gates traffic signals.

Town of Greece

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Greece that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Greece traffic signals.

Town of Henrietta

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Henrietta that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Henrietta traffic signals.

Town of Irondequoit

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Irondequoit that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Irondequoit traffic signals.

Town of Penfield

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Penfield that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Penfield traffic signals.

Town of Perinton

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Perinton that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Perinton traffic signals.

Town of Webster

The following is a list of traffic signals in the Town of Webster that are maintained by the Monroe County Department of Transportation. To report any malfunctions with these traffic signals, please call our dispatch center at 585 753-7700. This number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also use this phone number to report traffic signals that are not on this list, and we will forward the information to the proper agency maintaining the traffic signal.

Open list of Webster traffic signals.

Fire Emergency Preemption System Installed

As part of MCDOT’s Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) project, about 300 intersections in the City of Rochester are being equipped with a preemption system that will allow fire emergency response vehicles to pass through the intersections more quickly and safely than ever before. This system uses a proprietary signal transmission format to detect an approaching fire response vehicle which is equipped with its own transmission equipment.

This system can detect an on-coming fire truck and change the traffic signal to green in advance of the vehicle’s arrival at the intersection. This allows traffic ahead of the truck to move out of its way, creating a clear path and allowing easy passage through the intersection. Also, the traffic signal is held green for an extra period of time until the truck has passed through the intersection, which lessens the chance of a collision as the truck clears the intersection.

Information to note:

• The fire preempt system provides a functional enhancement to existing traffic control equipment. The fire truck does not ’control’ the intersection as it approaches. The traffic controller at the intersection simply responds to the fire preempt device in a planned, preconceived manner.
• The fire preempt system is not a video detection system. It can not ’see’ vehicles as a video camera can. It is not used to view the public, or anyone else. It can not ’view’ anything; it simply detects its own proprietary transmission protocol. That protocol is produced only by fire emergency response vehicles.
• The fire preempt system is not a “red-light-running” detection system, nor can it be adapted or changed to act like one.
• The fire preempt system is largely for public benefit, because fire emergencies can be responded to more quickly than ever before.
• The fire preempt system also helps prevent accidents at intersections because all conflicting traffic will be stopped in advance of the truck’s arrival.

Installation of the system began in late July 2002.

County DOT Now Using Cost-Saving LED Traffic Signals

Surely you’ve noticed by driving around Monroe County a new type of traffic signal at many locations throughout the City of Rochester and the county. These new traffic signals are known as LED (light-emitting diode) traffic signals. Rather than single incandescent light bulbs, LED traffic signals appear as an array of tiny lights.

Regular LED traffic signals (not directional arrows) contain about 200 pencil-eraser-size LEDs in a cluster manufactured as a replacement component that can be retrofit into existing signal housings. LED and component manufacturers produce the diodes or material packages, controls, and signal housing, while LED signal manufacturers assemble the packages of LEDs into traffic signal retrofit kits designed to easily fit into the housing for incandescent signals currently in use at MCDOT maintained signalized intersections.

Because they draw much less current, LED signals save 80-90% of the electricity consumed by incandescent-lamp signals, and they last 5-10 times longer, according to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), a Boston-based association of state energy agencies, utilities, and other organizations. Given the number of traffic signal lights maintained by MCDOT and the fact that most of them operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the opportunity for energy savings is quite significant.

A 12-inch LED signal uses 11-17 watts, compared with 135-150 watts for a comparable incandescent lamp. If all of the three million traffic signals in the United States were converted to LEDs, some three billion kilowatt-hours of electricity would be saved annually, the CEE says. LEDs also offer significant peak demand savings because of their continuous operation; total conversion of all U.S. signals would reduce overall peak demand by 340 MW, it adds up.

With this tremendous opportunity for energy savings, the Monroe County Department of Transportation completed their replacement. New York State Department of Transportation is also replacing many of their traffic signals with LED type signals. The costs involved with retrofitting existing hardware with new LED type signals is typically recouped within 3-5 years in the form of energy consumption savings.

If you have any comments about LED traffic signals, please feel free to e-mail or call the Monroe County Department of Transportation.

Regional Traffic Operations Center Opens

On May 13, 2002 the Monroe County Department of Transportation, Monroe County Airport Authority, New York State Department of Transportation and the New York State Police celebrated the official opening of the new Regional Traffic Operations Center (RTOC). The joint venture located at 1155 Scottsville Road has been in the works since 1997.

The facility brings together under one roof a wide variety of traffic and emergency responders. These agencies each contribute a different viewpoint of traffic which, when put together, form complete detection and response capabilities for both the daily routine of traffic as well as traffic incident management.

The Monroe County Department of Transportation, which oversees the City of Rochester and Monroe County arterial street network, houses their Traffic Control Center at RTOC. From here, a majority of the County’s 600+ traffic signals can be monitored and controlled remotely. Maintenance of the expressway lighting system and dispatch facilities for signals and highways maintenance crews are also based at RTOC.

To report traffic signal malfunctions, downed or missing traffic signs (including street name signs), or highway maintenance issues, please call the Traffic Control Center at 585 753-7700. This number can be called anytime, day or night. It will help crews respond better if you can provide details about the location such as the side of road or direction of travel affected, and about the situation such as type of sign or condition observed.

Remember: NYSDMV Law requires that you treat a dark traffic signal as a four-way stop.