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Saratoga residents can look forward to an easier commute in the coming year, thanks to new synchronized signals being installed by the city.
The first phase of the project was completed earlier this month.
The main aim was to upgrade all the traffic lights to current standards. "This is the foundation for integration with a smart corridor where all the traffic signals in Saratoga can be controlled in real time," said Morgan Kessler, assistant engineer at the city public works department.
The signals are currently operating on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Saratoga Avenue.
Kessler said the first and more expensive phase of the project that had just been completed had taken care of infrastructure. "We had more than one kind of traffic light in the city. Now we have standardized lights," said Kessler.
The second phase of the project is expected to start later this year. This will involve having a control center in City Hall so that signal lights can be controlled from one central location in times of emergencies, during rush hour or a special event in the city.
Once the system is fully operational, all the signals on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and Saratoga Avenue would turn green in sequence, so that commuters would not have to encounter stop-and-go traffic all the time.
"They should all turn green at the same time, if you follow the speed limit," said Kessler.
Ultimately, through the ability to modify the signals from a central location, the city hopes to cut down on commute time significantly. The other advantage is lowered gas costs because of fewer stops. Kessler said that one common type of signal would also help the city with maintenance.
The city applied for grant money for the project in the fiscal year 19992000. The grant money was received from the Federal Highway Administration Fund. The city, which worked with Caltrans on the project, provided 11 percent of the funding. The first phase of the project cost $440,000. The second phase will cost $200,000.
Kessler said that the system would be integrated with the rest of the county's sometime in the near future.
The signals on Saratoga Avenue and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road are also being connected with the signals that control the flow of traffic onto Highway 85. "This would prevent a major traffic pileup during emergencies and also help in smoother flow of traffic," said Kessler.
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