Traffic Engineering

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The Traffic Engineering Division is responsible for street lighting, transportation planning, design, and operations. This section provides guidance to field staff responsible for the installation of various regulatory/warning/guide signs, striping/markings, signals, and other related traffic control devices.

Traffic Engineering is comprised of a team that works with residents, consultants, contractors, and other City staff to address a wide variety of issues or projects.

Some include:

Coordination or preparation of detailed plans, specifications, and estimates for traffic signals and street light improvements
Preparation of traffic engineering studies for various traffic control devices (i.e., speed studies, travel time, warrant analysis)
Study, monitor, and adjust signal systems to optimize the capacity of the transportation system
Work with school officials to alleviate circulation issues at neighborhood schools
Partnering with the Police Dept. to address parking, neighborhood, speeding, school circulation, collision, and other various issues
Review traffic control plans for all projects
Analyze and evaluate high crash locations
Identify pedestrian and bicycle routes to transit centers
Address capacity and parking issues in business districts

Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Citywide Map (Updated 2023)

HAWKS

HAWK signals provide safer crossing conditions for pedestrians while minimizing wait times for motor road users.

For pedestrians, HAWKs work the same as any other button-activated traffic signal-controlled intersection. By pushing a button, the pedestrian will wait for the signal to change and traffic to stop before entering the crosswalk for a countdown period.

The button controllers are APS, Accessible Pedestrian Signals. Visually impaired pedestrians will hear the voice communication that states the intersection they're at, and it will also say "Walk" to indicate a safe time to cross. There will also be beeps or a ticking sound throughout the crossing time. The button also vibrates to indicate when it is safe to cross.

For drivers, the HAWKs remain dark until a pedestrian pushes the button. Once triggered, the signal flashes yellow alerting drivers to slow down and then turns red to require drivers to stop. After the pedestrians cross, the HAWK will go dark again, allowing the motorists to continue through the intersection like normal.

Installation

In 2018, the City of Fairfield compiled data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) to analyze all crashes within its roadway network for a five-year period. The data-driven process identified the five intersections above as high crash intersections (hotspots).

The City secured $1,226,771 in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 9 grant funding to construct pedestrian crossing enhancements at the non-signalized intersections identified.

High-Intensity Activated Crosswalk (HAWK) Signals were chosen to best mitigate crash patterns for these five locations, as they help control speeding and decrease ambiguity of the right-of-way priority between motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

The City has entered into a contract with St. Francis Electric, LLC to install High Intensity Activated Crosswalks (HAWKS) at the following locations beginning December 2023:

Pennsylvania and Empire Street
Travis Blvd and Clay Street
North Texas Street and Wisconsin Street
North Texas Street and Oak Street
East Travis Blvd and Phoenix Drive

Here is a map showing the actual HAWK locations:

Installation at the following intersections are complete and the HAWK signals are now active:

N. Texas and Wisconsin
N. Texas and Oak
E. Travis and Phoenix
Kentucky and Empire

The final intersection of Travis and Clay Street is being finalized and is anticipated to be active by the New Year, weather permitting.

3E Committee

The 3E Committee (Engineering, Enforcement and Education) began as a project 2000-01 to emphasize “Safe Passage” by Superintendent of Schools Sharon Tucker of the Fairfield/Suisun Unified School District. To help implement this project, the 3E Committee comprised of the Fairfield and Suisun School District, Solano Transportation Authority, and City Police/Transportation/Engineering representatives was formed.

Engineering: traffic control devices flashing warning devices at crosswalks, sign prohibitions, and restripe roadways to enhance vehicle, pedestrian, and bike circulation.
Educate: Educate parents, students, and administrators on traffic control devices.
Enforcement: Enforce all laws.

Tina's Traffic Tips

Transportation Planner, Tina Machado, shares traffic safety tips and breaks down common traffic questions in the Tina’s Traffic Tips series. Have a traffic question you’d like to see mentioned in this series? Email them to tmachado@fairfield.ca.gov.