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Traffic light project aims to keep drivers moving along
Paid for by a $900,000 grant from the Ventura County Transportation Commission and $100,000 from city coffers, the undertaking will go out to bid in the next few months and is expected to be completed by spring 2008, according to Ron Fuchiwaki, assistant director of public works. "The whole program of traffic signal synchronization is a high priority for the mayor and the City Council, so we've been pursuing the program extensively for the last four years," Fuchiwaki said. "We've already implemented about six segments of streets." Those first six stretches of road (see info box at right) were selected, Fuchiwaki said, because they contained newer traffic signals already equipped with all the necessary hardware to facilitate synchronization. The next phase of the project will deal with older traffic lights that don't yet have the needed equipment to be interconnected, a big reason behind the million-dollar price tag, the assistant director said. "We have to put the cable (in the ground) that runs from signal to signal so they can relay information back and forth to each other," Fuchiwaki explained. This phase will include five segments of traffic signals along Los Angeles Avenue, Cochran Street, Alamo Street, Royal Avenue and Sycamore Avenue, five of the city's busiest thoroughfares (see info box for complete details). "The timing programs that are established are specifically designed for the morning peak hours, the noontime peak hours and the evening peak hours," stated Fuchiwaki, adding that during offhours intersections will revert to being disconnected. When residents are unhappy with traffic congestion in the city and want to speak with someone about it, it's usually David Medina who fields their calls. Medina is an associate engineer with public works assigned to traffic. "We get calls all the time," Medina said. "Some people are understanding, some aren't." The theory behind synchronization, Medina explained, is that by keeping traffic signals on busy streets "green" longer and making sure they're timed correctly with other signals along the same stretch, you can improve the flow of the majority of traffic going straight ahead. But at the same time, he said, drivers entering a synchronized major roadway from side streets during peak hours must endure a longer wait. "Those people wanting to turn left will now have to wait longer than they're use to," Medina said. "In that sense, I expect we'll get some calls from citizens who are unhappy . . . and it's my job to explain to them that it's all for the benefit of the majority of traffic." Fuchiwaki said the issue is a constant battle for the city. "It's a balancing act. People don't like to wait whether it's on a side street, main street, anything," he said. When asked if residents will notice a difference once this next group of signals is synchronized, Medina said it depends on location. "In some cases it will be significant, in others it might not seem like a big improvement to the untrained eye," the traffic engineer said. While this next segment of the synchronization program is a big step in the city's fight to maintain traffic flow, Fuchiwaki said, it still only gets Simi halfway there. "We'll have done 50 percent of the signals in the city," Fuchiwaki said. "But (the program) will be ongoing, and the ability to implement more will be based on the financial resources we get." Fuchiwaki said there are additional federal monies out there for projects that improve air quality by improving traffic flow, which is just how the city qualified for the $900,000 grant from VCTC. "Obviously we'll be applying for additional grant monies to offset the impact to city funds, but we'll still be doing the program for years to come," Fuchiwaki said. And while synchronization will help, Fuchiwaki cautioned residents from seeing the program as a solution to the problem of traffic congestion in the city.
"With growth there's always going to be more traffic and more of a strain on the system. That's why the council has always adequately funded our programs to upgrade our equipment and to add new signals where necessary," he said. "Everybody expects a certain level of traffic flow, and synchronization helps to maintain that level everyone expects." Acorn Bits | |||||
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