It’s easier to drive on a major road when you can move with the flow of traffic through a series of intersections if the traffic lights turn green just ahead of you. Starting Thursday, the city of Santa Maria will be synchronizing traffic signals along two sections of two major arterials – Betteravia and Blosser roads.
The synchronization work will take place along Betteravia Road from Blosser to Bradley roads, and along Blosser Road from Betteravia to Stowell roads. Traffic signal synchronization is a coordinated set of timing plans for a group of signals on an arterial that creates a smooth traffic flow. The goals are to reduce traffic congestion and harmful air emissions by allowing vehicles to move through the arterials with the fewest stops at intersections.
The lights will be coordinated to keep pace with traffic signals along Broadway (Highway 135). The project was tested Thursday morning. For the next several days, the city will adjust signal timing to
accommodate traffic on side streets and for motorists making left turns from Betteravia and Blosser roads.
The city also is making adjustments to the traffic lights along Miller Street between Cook Street and Santa Maria Way. The project is funded through a Regional State Transportation Project grant and supplemented with gas tax funds.
For more information, call the Public Works Department at 805.925.0951, ext. 225.
Mark van de Kamp is a management analyst in the Santa Maria city manager’s office.