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What is wink?
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Wink is the name to remember for Cary traffic information. Reliable, real-time Cary traffic information
is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the wink Web site. You can also tune in to Cary
TV Monday through Friday to view live traffic cameras during wink weekday rush hour programming
blocks: 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Wink is not an acronym.
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What are the benefits of having a traffic information Web site?
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Citizens may now plan trips through and around Town before leaving home or the office, thereby
saving time and avoiding possible traffic incidents or delays that may have occurred along
your usual route.
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How many cameras does Cary have monitoring traffic?
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Cary has installed 23 Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras throughout town. In addition,
the NC Department of Transportation maintains three more along I-40 in Cary and another
70 CCTV cameras in the Triangle area.
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How often are camera images on the Web updated?
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The Web site will refresh CCTV images every three minutes.
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Do I need any special software to use wink?
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No special software is needed, although higher-speed internet accounts will enable quicker refresh rates.
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How do I get started using the Web site?
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Just point and click. Find the intersection you’re looking for on the map and click on the camera
or traffic icon to bring up the image and/or more information. You can also select a camera from
the list on the left, or use the tabs to receive incident and event information. For detailed instructions,
read How to Use this Site.
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How can I tell which way the cameras are pointing?
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In the top right-hand corner of each camera image displayed, a cardinal direction is
indicated (N, NE, NW, S, SE, and SW). This represents the direction the camera is facing.
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Can I customize wink to remember my preferences?
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No, at the current time the home page will always display the same default map image upon opening.
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I want to receive Cary traffic alerts. How do I sign up?
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Subscribe to the Town of Cary’s
Electronic Mailing List Service!
To sign up, fill out the New Account registration form and select the Traffic
Information mailing list.
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Can I view wink on my mobile phone or PDA?
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Unfortunately, the first phase of wink Web does not include this feature
but we hope to be able to offer it in subsequent versions.
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Are the cameras used to monitor traffic speeds or catch red light violations?
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No, the CCTV cameras are used for monitoring traffic flow conditions only.
Red light violations are monitored using a
separate system.
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I was in an accident near a traffic camera. Is there a videotape of the accident?
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No, the Town does not videotape CCTV images. If your accident occurred at an
intersection monitored by a
red light camera,
there may be videotape or still images of the collision available for viewing at the SafeLight
Cary Office in the Cooper Building across from Town Hall.
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Where does information about traffic conditions come from?
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The information comes from many different sources. Our signal system operators receive
real-time information from sensors embedded in the streets and the CCTV cameras located
throughout Town. Operators also receive incident and event information from NCDOT’s
Traveler Information Management System
(TIMS) and relay information about Triangle traffic conditions to
you via the wink Web site.
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How does traffic information get converted into a color-coded map?
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The sensors embedded in Town streets provide traffic speed and volume data directly to
the Town’s signal system software. This data is used to populate equations that are used to
quantify traffic flow conditions (good, fair and poor), and these outputs are then shown
graphically on the wink map.
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Why did Cary decide to use still images instead of streaming video?
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Our engineers have predicted that many citizens will be simultaneously logged-on to
the wink Web site, creating a large burden on the Town’s available bandwidth.
Because streaming video requires a significant rate of sending and receiving data
from the site, we opted to display still images, thereby providing clear, accurate images
that provide a high level of usefulness to our citizens.
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I have more questions. Where can I get more information about Cary’s traffic management system?
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Cary’s Traffic Management Center is operated Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Operators can be reached at (919) 380-2105 during these hours. You can also read more about
our Advanced Traffic Management System - which includes dynamic message signs and signal timing
plans in addition to wink - on the Town’s Web site.
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