Reflective stoplight backplates being tested at five intersections

Reflective backplates are being added to traffic signals at five DSM intersections as part of a test project, city traffic engineer John Davis tells Axios.

Why it matters: They're designed to improve visibility for traffic signals and can reduce crashes, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

• The test is part of the city's Vision Zero plan to eliminate road deaths by 2040. Each backplate costs under $200.

State of play: Multiple styles of the backplates will be reviewed over the next six months for things like how well they work in different weather conditions.

• More will likely be added after the initial review is completed.

Of note: DSM is modeling its program after similar ones in Tacoma, Washington and Minneapolis.

Zoom in: Three of the test intersections are along 19th Street — at Forest Ave., University Ave. and I-235 North.

• Others are at Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and I-235 South and at Seventh and School Streets.