Traffic signals found to be inefficient

There are more than 260,000 traffic signals across the United States, and about 75 percent of those signals are operating inefficiently according to a recent study, causing motorists to waste millions of dollars in gas as they spend unnecessary hours stuck in traffic. Despite the numbers, city officials say Carbondale's signals are up to par.

A traffic signal timing study conducted by the National Transportation Operations Coalition, in which 378 public agencies in 49 states participated, found that a vast majority of the nation's traffic signals are outdated and under performing. Carbondale City Manager Jeff Doherty said traffic signals in Carbondale are fairly efficient.

Doherty said traffic signals are controlled by software that allows them to be synchronized to avoid constant stop-and-go traffic, especially along Illinois Route 13. "The traffic signals are synchronized to allow a person to avoid having to stop at every traffic signal," Doherty said. "If a person drives the speed limit, once they hit a green light, they should be able to continue driving through town."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration, inefficient traffic signals account for 295.8 million hours of vehicle delays each year.

Doherty said although the synchronization of traffic signals is disrupted by trains, which frequently travel though town, he said the timing is only temporarily affected and recovers after two light cycles.

The Department of Transportation estimates that 75 percent of the nation's traffic signals could be improved with equipment and timing plan updates and other minor adjustments. Officials say doing so would reduce vehicle emissions, traffic delays and fuel consumption by 17 billion gallons per year.

While Doherty said he is unsure how old the software used to control traffic signals in Carbondale is, he said the maintenance of signals is kept up to par with the city's in-house technicians. "In terms of efficiency, you're about as efficient as you can get," Doherty said.