"People who say we can't do anything about congestion are wrong. We can do lots,"

By FRANK GREVE
McClatchy Newspapers
Published on: 05/14/08

WASHINGTON — Fine-tuning controls on the nation's traffic signals would cut U.S. road congestion by as much as 10 percent, transportation experts estimate.

It would also reduce air pollution from vehicles by as much as a fifth, cut accidents at intersections and save about five tanks of gas annually per household, according to the National Transportation Operations Coalition, an alliance of federal, state and local traffic departments and equipment-makers.

That's the good news. The bad news is that the average local traffic department earned an overall grade of D on the alliance's latest report card. Streamlining intersections is happening in only some cities and states, even though it's eminently doable.

"People who say we can't do anything about congestion are wrong. We can do lots," said Joel Marcuson, a specialist in urban intersections with the Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. in Phoenix.

Right now, however, three out of four of the nation's 300,000 traffic signals need replacement or timing adjustments for optimum performance, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Among the obstacles are a nationwide shortage of skilled traffic engineers, unfocused local political leaders with tight budgets and stodgy local traffic departments. For that matter, federal aid that could ease congestion goes mainly to building and maintaining roads.

Nonetheless, lots of cities and at least seven states — California, Florida, Washington, Minnesota, Maryland, Georgia and Texas — are finding ways to move traffic through intersections faster, according to the transportation engineers group.

Georgia focuses much of its energy on the 20-county area around Atlanta when it comes to traffic signal improvements. Since 2005, it has cut travel time in Atlanta's traffic corridors by 18 percent and time stopped by 39 percent, said Yancy Bachmann, assistant state traffic engineer. Macon and Columbus have also seen traffic signal improvements, he said.

And where does your metropolitan area stand?

It could need improvement, traffic engineers say, if your answer is no to any of these questions:

—Can you sometimes make it through six to eight consecutive intersections on green lights?

—Is there useful traffic information on the radio and on roadside message signs?

—Is it rare that there's no cross traffic when you're stopped at a light?

—Can you drive into the next jurisdiction without encountering congestion at the border?

—Are predictable traffic jams, such as the post-game exits from stadium parking lots, handled adroitly?

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