BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Traffic Engineering, a division of the Public Works Department is conducting a Countywide test of nearly 500 school zone lights during the overnight hours starting Sunday, July 31 at midnight to test the newly upgraded system before school starts on August 16. These lights ensure the safety of drivers and students during school arrival and dismissal.

The new cellular-based communication system will allow for real-time remote changes from the Traffic Engineering headquarters in the event of an early release or delays during the school day. The upgrade will also provide County staff with notifications of burned-out LEDs, malfunctioning lights, dead batteries and the overall status of the system. The previous system required Traffic Engineering staff to dispatch a crew to any of the broken lights which took more time, money and resources.

The test will run for approximately 30 minutes to ensure all the upgraded lights are working properly and to determine future network capacity by identifying "dead spots" where cell service is limited. 

The late-night timeframe was selected to minimize traffic disruption and reduce any potential law enforcement issues that could happen during the week. If a school zone speed infraction occurs during the testing period, County staff will be prepared to work with officials to ensure the driver is not penalized.

Ultimately, more than 1,000 flashers within the County will be upgraded before the first day of school in 2024.