AM850.com

Gainesville drivers may be noticing an easier commute around town and it's supposed to get even better. The City of Gainesville has been working on installing ethernet cameras at every intersection since 2007 and it's over half-way done. Traffic Operations Engineer for the City of Gainesville Matthew Weisman can view the camera feeds from the comfort of his office and change traffic flow with one click of a button he says the new technology will help improve the flow of traffic. Weisman says the cameras will help manage traffic during accidents or periods of high congestion. This plan to get the 230 traffic signals in Alachua County on a fiber optic network comes with a hefty price tag but Weisman says several local agencies pitched in to help fund the project. Weisman says the original budget was developed in the early 2000's and projected each camera to cost 85-hundred dollars but today, they cost only three thousand making the city's ultimate goal much more attainable. But what will all this monitoring mean for speeders? Weisman says those with a lead foot don't have to worry. Weisman says traffic cameras are installed at all the main corridors in Gainesville and the project should be finished within the next two years.