Las Vegas NowTraffic Lights to be Synched, Speeding up Traffic

Traffic Lights to be Synched, Speeding up Traffic

The I-15 widening project is going to make those surface streets very busy, so the agency that controls the valley's traffic signals is planning a massive effort to try to speed the flow.

Planners say the traffic diverted from I-15 is expected to flow into areas well beyond the actual construction zone. So managers at the valley's traffic light network -- called Fast -- have a plan to adjust light timings to try to speed things along on the surface streets.

The main Fast control center -- from there, traffic officials monitor flows valley wide and can also adjust many stoplight cycles by computer control. The plan is to make the green lights longer on the major roadways that parallel I-15 such as Lamb, Rancho and Las Vegas Boulevard.

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During peak commute times, the hope is that will move the extra traffic more quickly on the surface streets. The manger of Fast says this is the first time such a widespread traffic signal adjustment has been made to accommodate construction.

"What we are doing is a fairly massive effort to retime -- develop new timing plans -- implement them on the street for roughly 350 intersections in the north part of the valley in order to provide more capacity on those expected diversion routes," said Glenn Grayson.

If you don't travel on I-15 north of the Spaghetti Bowl, don't think this construction project will not affect you. Traffic planners expect traffic diverted from I-15 to travel as far west as Decatur, as far east as Lamb and all the way south to Desert Inn.

So what does this mean in terms of green lights? Depending on the intersection -- planners say those times will increase between 20 and 40 seconds.

Of course that means for people traveling across the main traffic flow, they will be waiting at red lights a bit longer as well.

It will last only as long as it takes to finish the I-15 widening project. But traffic planners say they will carefully monitor the traffic flows and make adjustments as needed.

Email your comments to Reporter Mark Sayre.