Northstar incorporates the latest in traffic monitoring technology into a state of the art traffic management system. With an extensive fiber optic communications network extending from the Northstar Traffic Operations Center located on Pruitt Rd. in South Montgomery County to all of the traffic signals monitored by Montgomery County this system can not only view cameras located at the intersection but also perform routine maintenance and program any of the device on the system to provide improve traffic flow.

The Northstar system has the ability to reprogram any traffic signal that is connected to our network, make any adjustments to timing or detection devices, monitor traffic flows, retrieved traffic volume data for timing studies, monitor utility power to intersections.

The system also provides remote access to any device on the system to our traffic signal technicians from the repair trucks and their homes in the event of a failure during times they are not in the office. If a traffic signal fails for any reason the system notifies the operators at Northstar and the on call technicians by pager within 30 seconds of a failure. If there is a system failure technicians respond 24 hours a day to the intersection to repair the system as soon as possible.

Montgomery County has begun the installation of uninterruptible power supplies to all county operated traffic signals. In the event of a power outage the UPS system has enough backup power to operate the traffic signal for several hours.

In conjunction with The Woodlands Fire Department emergency vehicle preemption devices have been installed on many intersections in The Woodlands. These devices provide a green light to fire trucks as the fire truck approaches the intersection which can save minutes when seconds count.

Since 2001 Montgomery County has incorporated video vehicle detection on all new traffic signal designs. This technology is far superior to all other methods of detecting vehicle. Not only does it provide a lower cost of installation and maintenance it also allows Northstar to monitor traffic signals remotely to make any repairs or adjustment in a matter on minutes.