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1. Who do I contact to report a problem with a traffic signal?

To report a traffic signal outage during normal business hours, contact the Public Works Department at 972-292-5800. At other times, please call the Police Department non-emergency number at 972-292-6010. To report a concern regarding traffic signal timing, please contact the Engineering Services Department at 972-292-5400 and ask to speak to the engineer in charge of signal timing. 

Special Cases: 

SH 121 - The traffic signals along the SH 121 frontage roads are controlled by the City of Plano. Please contact the City of Plano at 972-941-7000 to report problems or concerns. 

Custer Road - The City of Frisco controls the traffic signals along Custer Road from McKinney towne Crossing / Custer Bridges to Eldorado Parkway. The City of McKinney controls the traffic signals along Custer Road that are north of Eldorado Parkway. Please contact the City of McKinney at 972-547-7559 to report problems or concerns.

2. Why do some intersections have flashing yellow arrows? What do they mean?

A flashing yellow arrow means that you must wait for a gap in oncoming traffic before you turn left at a traffic signal. The Flashing Yellow Arrow (FYA) left-turn display is the new nationwide standard for traffic signal operation. All cities are required to build new traffic signals with the FYA display and to eventually upgrade their existing traffic signals to have the FYA display. The City of Frisco is in the process of upgrading its existing traffic signals to have the FYA display, which is expected to be complete in 2015.

3. Why do I have to wait so long for a green light on a side street?

In general, a traffic signal is programmed to provide more green time to the street that has the most traffic. This minimizes stops and delay for the largest number of cars, which improves air quality and reduces congestion on the major roadways. Therefore, if you are on a side street that has less traffic than the major roadway, you will wait a longer time for a green light.

In addition, traffic signals along a major roadway are coordinated with each other in order to minimize the delay for the largest possible number of cars as they move through the city. When traffic signals are coordinated, each traffic signal must display the green indication to the primary direction of travel during a specific time period (in sequence along the road) so that the largest possible group of cars can proceed through the system with a minimum number of stops. The side street must remain red while the coordinated flow of traffic passes through the intersection along the major roadway (sometimes in both directions).

The wait on a minor street will always be less than 3 minutes during normal traffic signal operation.

4. Can you change the traffic signals to operate in flashing mode during the late night hours?

Some cities switch some of their traffic signals to the flashing mode late at night to minimize delay on their major roadways. In this mode, traffic on the major roadway sees a flashing yellow light while traffic on the side street sees a flashing red light, which means that traffic on the major roadway never has to stop while traffic on the cross street operates like it has a stop sign.

This type of operation is only beneficial if the side street has very little traffic; therefore, it does not work well at the intersection of 2 major roadways.

Most of the traffic signals in the City of Frisco are located at the intersection of 2 major roadways, so this type of flashing operation would not be beneficial. However, the City of Frisco does change the operation of our traffic signals late at night to minimize delay. Almost all of our traffic signals operate in “free” mode during these hours, which means that they operate independently and serve the traffic on each street as it is detected. In this mode, a traffic signal will remain green for the major roadway most of the time and will service the cross street for a small amount of time only if a vehicle is detected. In this way, the signal minimizes the number of times that it stops traffic on the major roadway, and it minimizes the wait time for the cross street by switching over to it almost as soon as it detects traffic on that street.

5. How are the yellow and all-red clearance times calculated for a traffic signal?

Yellow time is calculated using a nationwide standardized equation based on the speed of traffic on the roadway. The majority of Frisco’s major roadways have speed limits around 40 mph; consequently, a yellow time of about 4 seconds is used at most traffic signals.

The all-red time is also calculated using a nationwide standardized equation for a given speed. The City of Frisco uses all-red values that range between 1 and 3 seconds, depending on the intersection width and speed.

6. Is it necessary for me to push a button to activate the pedestrian signal?

Yes, pushing the pedestrian button tells the traffic signal you are there so it can provide a “walk” indication. If you don’t activate the pedestrian signal, the traffic signal may not change or it may not provide enough time for you to cross the street.

7. Why does the orange hand flash before I’ve completed crossing the street?

The white walk symbol is displayed to allow pedestrians to enter the crosswalk. After a certain amount of time, the flashing orange upraised hand appears as a warning to pedestrians who have not yet entered the crosswalk that it is too late to begin crossing the street.

If you are already in the crosswalk, there will be enough time for you to finish crossing the street. In fact, the flashing orange hand is usually accompanied by a number that counts down to show you how much time you have left to cross the street before the traffic signal changes.

8. How do you decide where and when to install traffic signals?

The installation of traffic signals follows a nationally standardized process that is outlined in the Texas Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (TMUTCD). There is a set of criteria that must be satisfied before a traffic signal can be installed, most of which are based on traffic volumes. Not every street can be given a traffic signal, so traffic volumes are a large factor in determining which intersections will be signalized.

In addition, traffic signals must be spaced a certain distance apart in order to function well. The intersection of 2 major roadways is always assumed to be a future traffic signal location and then other potential locations must be spaced an appropriate distance away. As other traffic signals are added at minor intersections, it further limits the possible location of additional traffic signals.

Finally, the time frame for the installation of a traffic signal is primarily determined by the funding available to us each year. All of the intersections that meet the necessary criteria are prioritized each year based upon the amount of traffic they serve, an analysis of the conflicting movements, and other factors. The city then assigns the available funding to the top ranked locations.

9. How do I request a new traffic signal?

Please call 972-292-5400 and ask to speak to a Traffic Engineer. If the intersection in question is eligible for a traffic signal, it will be added to a list of locations that we monitor on an annual basis. We will observe and collect the traffic volumes at all of these potential traffic signal locations and see if they meet the nationally standardized criteria for justifying the installation of a traffic signal. All of the locations that meet the necessary threshold will be prioritized based on traffic volumes, conflicting movements, and other factors. The city will then assign the funding available that year to the top ranked locations.

It is not possible to install a traffic signal at every intersection for a number of reasons, so a particular intersection may not be eligible for a traffic signal. If it is eligible, it may take years before it reaches the top of the priority list for installation. At any intersection, we recommend that citizens take an alternative route instead of making a maneuver that makes them uncomfortable. Whether an uncontrolled intersection is a candidate for a traffic signal or not, it may be necessary for motorists to take an alternative route during busy times of the day instead of making a left-turn or going straight across an intersection. For example, motorists can turn right and then make a u-turn at another location.

10. Does the City of Frisco record any of the video from its traffic cameras?

No, the City of Frisco does not record or retain any video from the cameras in its traffic management system. The cameras you see on top of the traffic signals are used to detect traffic for the operation of the traffic signal and to also help engineers monitor traffic flow in the city at any given moment.