Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Murrieta reports sharp commute time drops after Los Alamos signal‑timing pilot
Summary
A pilot synchronization program on the Los Alamos corridor produced measurable travel‑time improvements—staff and consultants reported reductions in morning and evening travel times after adding CCTV, coordinating 10 signals, increasing cycle length and striping changes.
Murrieta City Council heard results March 3 from a traffic‑signal synchronization pilot on the Los Alamos corridor that staff said reduced travel times in key periods after corridor‑wide timing adjustments and infrastructure tweaks.
City engineers and consultant Brian Stevenson described the effort: staff added CCTV observation cameras, brought 10 signals into a single coordination plan, increased cycle length to 120 seconds for peak periods and adjusted striping (adding a dual westbound left at Hancock). Stevenson reported the travel‑time runs showed a roughly 17% reduction in some morning westbound runs and a reported 56% reduction in certain evening runs after changes.
Staff cautioned that synchronization optimizes flow in the dominant direction for each peak period and can lengthen waits for cross‑traffic or side streets, and that results will vary by corridor. Councilmembers asked about coordination with Caltrans at the I‑15/215 interchanges; staff said historical communications had been interrupted but that recent meetings prompted renewed cooperation and on‑site fixes. Councilmembers praised Councilmember Stone for initiating the pilot and asked staff to make Mirada Hot Springs Road the next candidate for corridor timing work.
The pilot used before/after travel‑time runs and observation; staff said the largest gains were on corridors that previously had poor or no coordination and that future corridors already coordinated should expect more modest improvements. No formal council action was required beyond receiving the report; staff plans to monitor performance and pursue additional coordination as warranted.
