LA traffic lights get in sync to ease congestion

Auto Blog – by Zach Bowman

Los Angeles is moving forward with a plan to ease traffic congestion by synchronizing all of the city’s 4,398 stoplights. While smaller municipalities have followed similar plans in the past, LA is the first major city to take a stab at getting all of its lights to play nice together. If it works, the new system could increase average traffic speeds by 16 percent and reduce travel times by 12 percent. We imaging reducing the amount of time cars spend idling at a stop light should help reduce fuel consumption by a decent margin as well.

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said the move will reduce the city’s carbon emissions by one metric ton while saving drivers one day of waiting in traffic at the same time. The system can also be utilized by emergency responders to reduce response times for ambulances and fire trucks. You can watch a local news report on the switchover below.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/26/la-traffic-lights-get-in-sync-to-ease-congestion-w-video