Foley council accepts Orange Beach’s traffic signal system donation

By Jessica Vaughn
Posted 1/28/20

FOLEY - During the Dec. Foley council, Fire Chief Joey Darby approached the council with the request to move forward with phase two of the department’s traffic signal preemptive system. The system …

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Foley council accepts Orange Beach’s traffic signal system donation

Posted

FOLEY - During the Dec. Foley council, Fire Chief Joey Darby approached the council with the request to move forward with phase two of the department’s traffic signal preemptive system. The system assists by allowing firefighters to control traffic signals during emergency situations, so they can better control traffic flow and clear intersections for first responders. Phase one was completed last year to a large success rate.

At the end of 2019, Orange Beach Fire Department contacted Darby concerning two intersections that are frequently used by their department: the intersection at Foley Beach Express and Highway 59 and the new signal at Highway 59 and Fern Avenue.

Fern Avenue has recently undergone an extension that once open will allow for quicker first responder times coming from Orange Beach and Gulf Shores to South Baldwin Regional Medical Center.

Orange Beach Fire Department offered to purchase the equipment necessary to install on the traffic signals if Foley would agree to include them in their phase two. Darby had already planned the intersections at Highway 59 and Riviera and Highway 59 and Tanger as part of phase two, as well as installing the required equipment to a new pumper arriving at the department early this year.

“I think it’s time to take advantage of Orange Beach’s offer, what they’re offering is substantial for us,” said Darby. “It wasn’t priority on my list, but all intersections at some point I would like to see us work towards, so we could start now.”

Darby has been working with Foley engineers on the potential of installing the preemptive traffic signal systems to any new lights that go up in the future. Upgrades are coming soon to the intersection at the Foley Beach Express and County Road 12, and costs are being estimated to potentially include the system in the upgrades.

Orange Beach Fire Department purchased the equipment prior to Foley’s Jan. council, and with the donation being accepted four new preemptive traffic signal systems will be added during phase two.