City of Norman's Traffic Management Center set to improve traffic flow

The City of Norman has officially launched its new Traffic Management Center (TMC), a major investment in transportation infrastructure designed to improve traffic flow, increase operational efficiency, and provide real-time monitoring of the city's signalized intersections.

The project, which first began with a systems engineering analysis in 2016, was funded through a combination of federal and local dollars, including funding from the voter-approved 2019 Transportation Bond Program. Approximately 70 percent of the project was funded through federal transportation funding administered by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG).

Construction on the facility began in March 2025, and the center - housed at the City of Norman Municipal Complex - became fully operational on April 1, 2026.

"The Traffic Management Center gives us capabilities we've never had before," said David Riesland, Transportation Engineer for the City of Norman. "For the first time, we have dedicated individuals actively monitoring our traffic signal system, identifying issues before they become major problems, and making real-time adjustments to improve traffic flow throughout the city."

Unlike many traffic management centers that rely on full-time operators, Norman adopted a unique staffing model utilizing student employees. Thirteen operators were hired and trained individually to monitor traffic conditions during peak travel periods, with plans to expand the program as additional students return in the fall semester.

Operators serve as the City's "eyes on the system," monitoring traffic cameras and signal operations throughout the day. Their responsibilities include identifying signal malfunctions, monitoring congestion, responding to incidents that affect traffic flow, and making signal timing adjustments when needed to reduce delays.

Prior to the center's opening, the City often relied on reports from residents or law enforcement officers to identify traffic signal issues. The TMC now allows staff to proactively detect and address problems before they significantly impact drivers.

Since becoming operational, the center has already shown promising results.

"One of the biggest indicators of success so far is that we've seen a reduction in traffic-related calls," Riesland said. "That tells us we're catching and resolving issues before they become noticeable to the public."

The center also enhances the City's ability to manage traffic during large events, including concerts, festivals and, eventually, University of Oklahoma football games. By remotely adjusting signal timing and traffic operations from the center, staff hope to reduce the need for officers to manually direct traffic at key intersections.

In addition to improving daily commutes, the TMC helps staff respond to temporary traffic challenges caused by construction projects, crashes and special events by providing greater flexibility in managing signal operations.

City officials emphasize that the Traffic Management Center is focused solely on improving transportation operations and is not intended for law enforcement surveillance.

"The purpose of this center is to make driving around Norman a little easier," Riesland said. "We're not monitoring traffic to get anyone in trouble. We're using technology to help traffic move more efficiently and improve the overall experience for residents and visitors."

To protect privacy, video captured by the City's traffic cameras is automatically overwritten every 72 hours. It is not retained long-term.

There are currently 24 traffic cameras that are located in various areas of the city.

Residents are still encouraged to report traffic concerns when they see them. However, City staff hope that the Traffic Management Center's proactive monitoring capabilities will allow many issues to be identified and resolved before residents ever encounter them.

For more information about the City's Traffic Management Center, contact the Department of Public Works at 405-366-5453.

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