Residents press Pinole staff to review signal timing, school-area lane closures and bridge repairs

Citizens and committee members at Wednesday’s Pinole City TAPS meeting urged staff to review signal timing on San Pablo Avenue at John Street and Pinal Valley Road and to address construction-related closures that are affecting school drop-off routes.

“ I would like to request staff to review the timing of the, traffic light signals at both Pinellas Valley Road and John Street on San Pablo Avenue,” resident John Bender told the committee, describing what he called a persistent “green wall of traffic” and higher vehicle speeds. He said the John Street signal had once used detection and then was altered to fixed timing; his measurement found a repeated cycle he described as “40 seconds green and then 10 seconds red.”

Public Works Director El Gindi replied that San Pablo Avenue signals are city-owned but maintained and operated by the county, and any timing changes require coordination. “It’s a city signal. However, the county, maintains and operates all signals within the city of Pinole. So any changes…