The City owns and operates 115 traffic signals spread across the City.  Nearly half of these signals uses an extensive wireline and wireless communications network to collect and communicate traffic information.  Communication is pulled to a centralized Transportation Management Center (TMC),  located at City Hall.  The TMC is operated and maintained by the Transportation and Traffic Engineering Division of Public Works.

The TMC uses a central computer to access video cameras to the City’s traffic signal system to monitor real-time traffic flows.  From the TMC staff can more efficiently response to traffic signal maintenance needs and make timing adjustments, as needed.  Using remote communications allows signal timing plans to be installed quickly and accurately, with little delay.

The TMC allows the Transportation Engineering Section to:

• Control and maintain traffic signal timings from one centralized location
• Improve traffic Levels of Service (LOS) along road segments and at signalized intersections
• Improve travel times along the City’s major streets
• Detect, monitor, and apply transportation management measures at incident locations as they occur within the City in real time
• Monitor and adjust traffic signal timing plans during special events

The City manages adaptive traffic signal systems on three major corridors; North Main Street, East Boronda Road, and North Sanborn Road. Adaptive traffic signal systems use proprietary systems to help optimize and platoon traffic on major corridors.

The benefits of adaptive signal control technology over conventional signal systems include:

• Automatically adapt to unexpected changes in tra­ffic conditions
• Improve travel time reliability
• Reduce congestion, fuel consumption and tail pipe emissions
• Prolong the effectiveness of traffic signal timing
• Reduce the complaints that agencies receive in response to outdated signal timing
• Make traffic signal operations proactive by monitoring and responding to gaps in performance
• Reduced rear-end collisions at intersections