City of Bloomington introduces new emergency response installations

Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Emergency response time is critical for saving lives in the Bloomington community.

The city of Bloomington is installing new equipment at 87 intersections that will detect when an emergency vehicle is approaching.

The installations are expected to improve response times by allowing traffic signals to turn green before emergency vehicles reach the intersection.

“Lives could literally depend on minutes or seconds. If we can help cut the time it takes those emergency responders to get to that location by 10%, 20% or 30%, then that’s that many more lives that can be saved,” said Philip Allyn, traffic engineer for the city of Bloomington.

The city expects to receive the equipment in the coming months, with installation anticipated by the end of the year.

Allyn said there may be minor lane closures during installation, but the overall impact on traffic should be minimal.

The city maintains 145 traffic signals. About two-thirds are owned by the state, while one-third are owned by the city.

Bloomington received grant funding to install equipment at the 87 intersections. The grant is administered through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with support from local state representatives.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is also working on improvements along Route 9, with another project planned along U.S. 51 in the coming years.

“These 87 intersections were part of a bigger project. We’re going to be installing the same equipment as part of those projects as well, which will get us up to almost 100% coverage,” Allyn said.

The city aims to enhance the community through a variety of infrastructure improvements.