CCTA outlines Lamorinda smart‑signals upgrades and $1.7M countywide evacuation study; cities press for tangible outcomes

Contra Costa Transportation Authority planning staff on Wednesday detailed two countywide initiatives for the Lamorinda area: a smart‑signals modernization covering 56 intersections and a separate, Caltrans‑funded emergency evacuation study estimated at $1.7 million, both intended to improve traffic safety and evacuation capacity.

The smart‑signals project will replace aging intersection controllers and detection technology, enable remote access to controllers, and connect signals across jurisdictions to support future synchronization, CCTA planning director John Huang told the joint meeting. Huang said the Lamorinda work combines an earmark and other countywide funds that together amount to “over $7,000,000” for the area and that design is at varying stages (one project at about 65% and another at about 35%). He described a conservative schedule that anticipates construction beginning in 2026 and completing in April 2027.

City and town elected officials pressed CCTA on how the upgrades will work during emergencies and on construction impacts. Huang said the project will not require trenching or major ground disturbance because most equipment upgrades happen inside existing…