Rancho Mirage approves joining CVAG regional traffic signal synchronization program

Rancho Mirage — The Rancho Mirage City Council voted 5-0 to authorize the city to participate in the Coachella Valley Association of Governments' (CVAG) Coachella Valley Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Program, known as CV Sync, and to let the city manager finalize the participation agreement subject to city-attorney review.

Council action followed a staff presentation from Ryan Stendell, the city's director of public works, who recommended joining CVAG to coordinate signal timing across the valley and to access regional funding and operations staff. "By being able to coordinate traffic regionally," Stendell said, synchronization can "improve traffic flow, we can shorten your travel time" and reduce vehicle emissions by reducing stop-and-go driving.

The nut graf: Council members and staff said regional coordination removes duplication, improves day-to-day management and increases the city's ability to secure grant funding for future phases. Stendell told the council that Rancho Mirage already operates a city-managed synchronized system for parts of Highway 111 and other corridors, and that the city's next phase to synchronize remaining arterial signals has an engineers' estimate "nearing $13,000,000." He and CVAG staff said CVAG can lead funding and maintenance while leaving operational control and local management with Rancho Mirage staff.

Stendell gave a timeline and background: Rancho Mirage's signal system went live in April 2021 after a federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grant funded phase 1. The city's planned phase 2 would add additional arterials (Ramon, Dinah Shore, Gerald Ford, Frank Sinatra, Country Club and Duval Drive). Stendell said CVAG's regional program began around 2015, placed phase 1 into operation in 2023, and now covers about 372 traffic signals with additional phases in design; phase 2 of CVAG's program would add roughly 49 more regional roadways.

Council members pressed staff on compatibility, detection technologies and cost. Stendell said the two systems have been coordinated for several years and that the primary technical difference is detection method: "a lot of our intersections operate off a loop technology that's in the ground," while CVAG's system emphasizes camera-based "virtual loop" detection. He said both systems are now largely compatible and that colocating CVAG's regional traffic management center in leased space at the city's corporation yard would improve daily coordination.

Cost and timing questions were discussed. Stendell said the estimated $13 million figure reflects current engineers' estimates for the city's independent buildout and that CVAG's involvement increases the city's ability to obtain grants; however, he said both approaches would still require grant funding for major fiber and construction work. When asked whether joining CVAG would speed up the rollout compared with a city-only approach, Stendell said some corridors where fiber and equipment already exist could move more quickly, but overall timing still depends on securing grants.

A resident, Bill Reason, told the council he appreciated the ease of driving through Rancho Mirage and echoed the presentation: "I never have to stop. And I just wanna congratulate, what you're doing, Ryan, and, Seabag. And thank you very much," he said.

Mayor Weil also commended the work and cited fuel and emissions savings from smoother traffic, saying drivers "end up hitting a bare minimum number of lights" when synchronization works.

After discussion the councilmember who moved the item asked the city to approve participation in the CVAG program and to authorize the city manager to finalize the agreement with minor edits as needed and subject to review by the city attorney. The motion was seconded and carried on a 5-0 roll call vote.

The participation agreement places CVAG in a lead role for funding, maintenance and regional operations while preserving the city's authority to manage and operate local timing for special events, accidents and construction. Stendell said the collaboration is expected to reduce duplication and increase access to grant funding, but large-scale implementation will still depend on future grant awards and construction schedules.