Traffic signal operation in New South Wales is the act of traffic management (or active traffic management) in New South Wales, Australia (NSW). Traffic signals in NSW use the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) traffic light control and coordination system.
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is responsible for controlling the signals in NSW, through the Network Operations division. TfNSW also develops the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System software, which is deployed in 216 cities in 33 countries.
Smart traffic signal operation delivers substantial economic benefits to Sydney in travel time savings. The savings were estimated to be worth around $3.6 billion per year, compared to simpler traffic signal control.
Personnel specialised in this field may be traffic engineers or traffic signal operations specialists.
As of November 2025, there were 4860 traffic signals across NSW.
History
In 1933, Australia's first traffic lights were installed at the intersection of Market and Kent streets. The next set of signals was installed in 1937.
In the 1960s, intersection number 1 was moved to Strathfield South, at the intersection of the Hume Highway and Pemberton St. It was eventually moved back.
By the 1960s, something had to be done about congestion. In Sydney, most feasible traffic management measures had been implemented, and other measures (like freeways) were too expensive.
In 1963 (or 1964, under the Inner City Signals Project) the Department of Motor Transport introduced television monitoring and computer control to 110 traffic signals with the aim of easing congestion in the CBD. The computer was originally located in the Department of Main Roads building at 309 Castlereagh Street.
Coordinated traffic signals were first trialled on Parramatta Road, unsuccessfully at first. In 1971 there were 13 systems of three or more linked signal sites.
Traffic signal investment was always lacking, but "this was inevitable because of definitional arrangements of "needs"". By the end of 1971, there were 569 intersections controlled by signals and at 263 intersections traffic signals were "warranted".
The 1000th installation of traffic signals in NSW started operation on 8 April 1974.
In 1981, the Traffic and Transport in South Sydney report made a recommendation for "traffic light adjustments to allow longer 'walk' time".
In 1988, a pilot scheme for monitoring travel times on Victoria Road was completed using commercially available vehicle mounted transponders and loop based interrogation equipment installed in existing traffic controllers connected to the SCAT [sic] system. In May 1988 a contract was let with Advanced Systems Research (ASR) for a 150MHz system. A prototype radio system was tested on the Pacific Highway between Turramurra and Crows Nest.
By August 1991 there were 2120 traffic signals at intersections in NSW and 280 at mid-block sites.
Since 1994 automated pedestrian phases were enabled across the CBD from 7am to 7pm on Monday to Thursday, and from 7am to 9pm on Friday.
By December 2009 there were 3791 traffic signals in service in NSW (including mid-block sites).
In 2017, a trial of in-ground traffic signal lights were installed for pedestrians at the intersections of Pitt and Goulburn streets, and Hay and Dixon streets at a cost of $380,000.
In NSW from 2022 to 2024, road crashes at signalised intersections injured 666 pedestrians and resulted in the deaths of 19 people. In 2025, at least 8 pedestrians were killed at traffic lights.
Operation
Transport for NSW aims to allocate physical and temporal road user space equitably between people walking, cycling and private vehicles.
As of April 2026, the design of traffic signal phasing is defined under Transport for NSW standard TS 02670 (TS 02670.1, TS 02670.2;, TS 02670.3).
Design objectives for signal phasing include "minimise the cycle time", and aim to achieve the following outcomes in order of priority if compromise "may be needed": promote road safety minimise delay for active transport optimise capacity and reliability consistency across the network minimises operating costs and road user frustration
The older November 2024 Traffic Signal Operations standard TS 05493 (which is not superseded as of April 2026) does not include objectives but includes "Selection of an appropriate phasing design for a particular intersection is further discussed in relevant parts of TS 02670" This standard superseded RTA-TC-106 version 1.3.
There are subtle differences between the current design and operations standards. The operations standard states that pedestrian clearance (ie. flashing red) time "can represent a significant amount of wasted time that could have been used by vehicle movements" and that "pedestrian movements are usually introduced only by demand" unless in "public transport interchange", "CBD environments", or in places at risk of overcrowding. The design standard states "A pedestrian movement can be automatically introduced without relying on pedestrians to activate the walk signal", makes no mention of "wasted time" and states auto-introduction "should" be implemented where the button is pressed in over 85% of cycles for a period of the day, on high-demand walking routes, or for short parallel marked foot crossings where clearance times are "at or below the intergreen time" for the concurrent (vehicle) phase.
Transport for NSW uses cameras to monitor intersections and adjust signal phases at peak times to prioritise vehicle traffic.
Traffic lights in NSW use a yellow time of between 4.0 and 6.4 seconds, depending on the speed and grade of the road.
Improvements for people walking and cycling
A major source of frustration for pedestrians is the phasing of traffic signals. The short time allocated for pedestrians to cross limits pedestrian access and increases increase risk taking when walking.
Simple signal changes can give more time or priority for people to safely cross the road. If people wait too long, they get impatient and step out. About 25% of pedestrian fatalities in NSW are at intersections with signals.
According to the NSW Government, long waits at crossings "reduce how often and how far people are willing to walk – particularly for children and older people – and can increase safety risks." Excessive pedestrian delays "can lead to higher levels of non-compliance with traffic signals", so Austroads recommends "Improve signal timing to reduce pedestrian delays" as a Safe System intervention.
Transport for NSW have improved 560 intersections between 2015 and 2025 to give pedestrians more time to begin crossing, an average of 56 per year. In comparison, Transport for London undertakes "annual timing reviews at 1,200 signal junctions and crossings", with reducing wait time for people walking a measured performance objective.
In 1992, a draft Roads & Traffic Authority report was completed to identify factors "that influence the preparedness of pedestrians to divert from their walk 'desire line' to use a signalised intersection pedestrian facility'. Sites were confined to arterial routes located in retail shopping strings. Papers were planned to be submitted to appropriate transport or engineering journals for publication.
The City of Sydney chairs a "monthly coordination group" with Transport for NSW to facilitate discussions around reducing delays for people walking at signals. The City of Sydney advocates for a target of "a maximum wait time of 45 seconds and a target of 30 second at all signals" and to ensure "15% or less of walking journeys is spent waiting at traffic lights".
In NSW, an intersection may have up to maximum of 8 pedestrian inputs (ie. pedestrian push-button detectors). The 2018 specification TSI-SP-069 required 8 inputs|date=2018-09-06 |title=SPECIFICATION NO. TSI-SP-069 CONTROL EQUIPMENT FOR ROAD TRAFFIC SIGNALS |author=Roads & Maritime Services |publisher=Transport for NSW |url=https://standards.transport.nsw.gov.au/_entity/annotation/59ca6a03-b935-ed11-9db1-000d3ae011f9 and the 2024 superseding specification TS 06156 states the controller must provide control for 16 pedestrian movements. Controllers have been approved which deviate from the specification.Summary of deviations from specified requirements ... 1. Supports only 8 pedestrian detector inputs (limitation being in TRAFF); requirement is for 16.
Automatic phase introduction
Automatic introduction is the practice for when signals give a green light for pedestrians or cyclists without requiring a button press. Transport for NSW was developing a policy on automated pedestrian crossing signals in March / April 2021. According to a 2024 standard, pedestrian movements are usually introduced on demand as "pedestrian clearance can represent a significant amount of wasted time that could have been used by vehicle movements".
Transport for NSW commenced a broader roll out of automatic pedestrian signals on 23 March 2020. During COVID, pedestrian crossings at traffic lights were automatically activated 24/7 across the CBD and areas of the inner city, including Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, Pyrmont and Ultimo. Automated pedestrian crossings were expanded to key health precincts were also gradually rolled out from March 2020. Automation was not implemented state wide as it "would unnecessarily impact on traffic flow". Automated pedestrian crossing signals were isolated to the Sydney CBD and Hospital locations ("as advice from" NSW Health).
In May 2021, Transport for NSW implemented a trial to automate pedestrian crossing from 7am to 7pm in King Street, Newtown.
In 2022, TfNSW began to remove the pedestrian button covers in Sydney. Crossings around health precincts were no longer automated, however automation remained during daylight hours in the CBD. In the core of the CBD of Sydney, pedestrian signals remain automated during a portion of the day as of 2022.
Due to noise complaints caused by the audio warning when the green man is first displayed, the hours of operation were reduced between November 2022 to January 2023. As of July 2023, in the CBD of Sydney, the pedestrian auto-call feature runs from 6am to 10pm.
In December 2024, Transport for NSW begun investigation of a number of new automated traffic signal locations across 6 Sydney suburbs. The locations were being investigated as of February 2025. In April 2025, a request was made for automation of more locations, and for automation at Harris Street and Broadway to be extended from 7pm to at least 10pm. In March 2025, Transport for NSW completed data collection and planned to automate pedestrian introduction from 7am-7pm at a number of sites "when pedestrian actuation exceeds 85%". If implementation was deemed to affect "traffic efficiency, the changes will be reverted". Arterial roads and corridors were not considered due to "the deterioration of the road capacity resulting from the impacts of the automated introduction."
Automated pedestrian crossings also run on King Street Newtown and the Parramatta CBD. On some key transport routes in the Inner Sydney areas (such as the light rail corridor in Devonshire Street), automated pedestrian crossings do not operate as light rail is the priority mode.
Cycle time reductions
A 2010 Memorandum of Understanding included an action to reduce signal waiting times for pedestrian priority in the Sydney City Centre during peak pedestrian times, which was due to be finalised by early 2011.
In January 2018, Transport for NSW reduced the cycle time for a subset of the Sydney CBD from 110 to 90 seconds. The Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney council wrote to the Roads Minister to request a broader rollout of 90 second cycle times on the 8th of November 2018. The Roads Minister declined to comment on the request.
Removing 'green-on-green' conflicts