Variable speed limit signs technology improving safety on I-76 in Philadelphia, PennDOT say
Rear-end crashes have plagued the Schuylkill Expressway for years. But new data from PennDOT suggests technology is making a difference in improving safety.
In 2021, PennDOT installed dozens of variable speed limit signs on the 14-mile stretch of the Schuylkill between U.S. 422 and U.S. 1. PennDOT also installed queue warning systems to let drivers know how long their commute would be. The technology cost $10.5 million, officials said.
The speed limit varies from 35 to 55 mph, depending on weather and traffic, on a section of highway that carries 130,000 cars a day.
During the five years before the variable speed limit signs and queue warning systems, PennDOT said there was an average of 568 crashes a year, but after, there were 444 crashes annually, a 22% decrease.
"We're really proud of it," Din Abazi, PennDOT's district executive for District 6, said. "We have more work to do, but this phase of the system is the first phase, and it is working."
PennDOT said the variable speed limit signs and queue warning system are just one part of the Transform 76 plan, which aims to reduce traffic and improve safety on the Schuylkill.
The next phase is widening the highway to create what they call flex lanes when drivers can use the shoulder as a travel lane during peak hours. It will be a complex and expensive process, but PennDOT said there will be long-term benefits for drivers like Peter Caperonis from Villanova.
"In comparison to other major Northeast cities, the Schuylkill Expressway doesn't have that much capacity, but it's not quite as bad as Boston, D.C. or New York traffic," Caperonis said. "I'd say PennDOT is doing a good job compared to the other major cities."