Harris Co. officials worry a change in how traffic signal funds are distributed will cripple response times to fix broken lights

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Harris County officials are worried that a change in how traffic signal funds are distributed might lengthen the time it takes to fix broken lights.

Harris County dashboard data shows some of its traffic lights are nearly 50 years old. Nearly a quarter of them are 30 years and older.

Engineering director Dr. Milton Rahman told county commissioners on Thursday that the county’s aging lights can cause problems.

“We are repeatedly going there and fixing those signals,” Rahman explained. “Changing the monitor and fixing the panels and things of that nature.”

In the past, the engineering department would receive millions of dollars from the toll road to fix traffic lights around the county. Now, because of a new state law, that money is sent to individual precincts.

The engineering department has to bill precincts, which Rahman said can slow down repairs. “Considering our internal network, yes,” Rahman told commissioners.

To fix this, the county’s budget director is working on a new policy that would allow the engineering department to make repairs and bill each precinct later.

While there’s money allocated for maintenance, Rahman said, the money for replacing aging lights with new ones could be different.

“The county engineering office is taking care of every maintenance request that is coming in for signal maintenance. Just for rebuild and new signal, that is the funding that we do not have,” Rahman explained.

Rahman said a new signal can cost around $750,000.

When ABC13 asked the engineering department whether it would be able to replace aging lights or add new ones in developing areas, a spokesperson said they would be able to answer next week.

Commissioners next meet on Jan. 29, when the budget director said he’ll present a policy to speed up the signal repair process.