Hate it or love it, smart traffic lights in Clinton Township are here to stay.

As you drive down the same roads you’ve been traveling for years, you may not have noticed the quiet revolution in driving technology.

Since 2006, Macomb County has been integrating smart traffic signal technology into most every light in the county.

Smart traffic signals utilize software and wireless communications to read real-time traffic situations, and can ease the flow of traffic by reducing the amount of time cars spend idling.

All of the data is sent back to a server at the county’s Traffic Operations Center in Mount Clemens. During the day, a team monitors surveillance videos and the data, and can adjust timing of the lights if the intersection is congested or if an accident occurs.

Adam Merchant, Macomb County Road Commission traffic engineer, said the smart traffic signals have been implemented because they have been proven to reduce traffic crashes.

Read more: Where Are Clinton Township's 10 Most Dangerous Intersections?

Merchant said the technology the county uses has all been tested, regulated and approved by the federal government.

What Do Smart Traffic Signals Look Like

For the most part, motorists will not be able to detect a smart traffic light.

The most noticeable sign for motorists that a traffic signal has smart technology is the presence of the four-level left turn signal.

Chris Florka in the Department of Roads said Macomb County maintains 52 signalized intersections in Clinton Township, 28 of which have vehicle detection or a 4-level left turn signal.

Other than that, the smart technology had been implemented in some degree in most of the existing signals in Clinton Township through radio, infrared and microwave technologies.

Eventually, all left-hand flashing red signals in Michigan will be replaced with the four-level left turn signal. Merchant said Michigan is the only state in America to use that flashing red signal because it was a pilot program tested in the state in the 80s, but never implemented throughout the country.

“The government wants all traffic signals unified throughout the country,” said Merchant.

A detailed description on how to use the new four-level left-turn signals is located at www.rcmcweb.org.

Merchant said the smart traffic signals are a work in progress, and they are continually looking for ways to improve the technology and ease the burden on motorists.

“We’re trying to find what makes the people most comfortable. Our goal is to make it user friendly,” he said.  “We have new signals that we have to use and they’ve been found to be safe, and some people are taking a little extra time to get used to them.”

Visit the Department of Roads website to submit a question or comment about smart traffic signals.

Intersections in Clinton Township with vehicle detection or 4-level left turn signals

• Hayes at Shoreline
• Hayes at Lakeside Village
• Hayes at 19 Mile
• Hayes at 18 Mile
• Utica at Moravian
• 15 Mile at Hayes
• 15 Mile at Utica
• 15 Mile at Garfield
• 15 Mile at Klein
• 15 Mile at Kelly
• 15 Mile at Little Mack
• 15 Mile at Golden
• 15 Mile at Lipke
• 15 Mile at Harper/Klix
• Harper at 14 Mile
• Harper at Quinn/Cottrell
• 17. Harper at King
• 18. Garfield at Millar
• 19. Garfield at Clinton River Road
• 20. Garfield at Terra Bella
• 21. Garfield at 18 Mile
• 22. Garfield at Canal
• 23. Garfield at 19 Mile
• 24. Garfield at Dove
• 25. 19 Mile at Chippewa Valley High School
• 26. Cass at Heydenreich
• 27. Cass at Clinton River Road
• 28. Cass at Moravian