Fraser Henderson, Jr. and Andy Mullan

Plans in effect to ease traffic congestion

A new traffic light coordination plan was implemented earlier this month that has already improved driving conditions for Charlottesville drivers, said City Councilor Kevin Lynch. West Main Street is the first major Charlottesville road to have the traffic signals coordinated with one another at an Intelligent Transportation System central location, said traffic manager Lonnie Randall. This initiative is part of a larger effort to reduce traffic congestion in important Charlottesville corridors by coordinating the timing of traffic lights that currently run independently of one another. The next streets in line to have regulated traffic signals are Preston Avenue, Emmett Street and Jefferson Park Avenue, and at least two of the three streets will be updated by the end of June, Lynch said. The improvements include timing green lights on busy streets with the speed limit to allow drivers to make it through multiple intersections without having to stop at a red light, Lynch said. "They will all be synchronized so that cars going the speed limit will catch all the green lights," he added. A side effect of linking traffic signal times with the speed limit is that it will enforce the speed limit. Cars that are abiding by the speed limit will be going at a rate that will allow them to make all of the green lights on a coordinated street, Lynch said. Due to the improvements, congestion in the area has been alleviated by approximately 15 to 20 percent which will be most noticeable during peak traffic times, Lynch said. According to Lynch, the plan to coordinate traffic signals is a much more cost effective method of reducing traffic in the city than increasing roads. Upgrading signal communications costs anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 per intersection, Randall said. Time has been the limitation on this project, rather than money, Lynch noted. In total, this project will cost approximately $2 million, Randall said. Randall expressed concern about the continued feasibility of funding the project because the amount that was initially raised has been nearly depleted. However, Lynch said he was optimistic that the success of the project and increased efforts to look for funds will allow for the coordination of all the traffic lights in Charlottesville.