Years in the making, the new system gives traffic signal priority to fire engines and rescue vehicles dispatched by the county — but it’s vastly different from preemptive systems used in other places that allow emergency vehicles to turn traffic lights green as they approach an intersection.
Instead, Palm Beach County’s system automatically extends the length of time for green lights as emergency vehicles on the way to calls. The extra green light time occurs before emergency vehicles get to intersections, effectively clearing out the lines of vehicles waiting at red lights. That prevents first responders from getting stuck behind stacks of gridlocked cars.
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