Dear Randy: Traffic Light Timing

You can call up , send emails all over, and reach out in many directions in looking for an answer to a local problem or help with an issue- or we can get that question right to , and he can use his resources and local government know-how to get the best answer around.

Send your questions or comments on any topic, preferably a local issue, to steven.bartholow@patch.com, or leave it as a comment below, and we'll pass it onto Mayor Voepel. He's agreed to shoot for answering one a week, so let's keep those questions coming!

Q. I remember reading a couple years ago that Santee spent a fortune on some consultant to . So, what gives? Did the city just waste a ton of money on nothing? Driving down Mission Gorge from the west to the east (or vice versa) is miserable!  

That signal at the 52 off ramp onto Mission Gorge is the worst and the one at Cuyamaca is ridiculous, too. If the signals are timed efficiently, how can it be possible to miss ALL of them!?

Thanks,

Keeley

A. Dear Keeley,

You were correct that the City did complete a to replace obsolete signal equipment and re-time traffic signals on Mission Gorge Road. The project was largely funded by a state grant.

Recently City staff modified signal timing on Mission Gorge Road again to adjust for . Cycle lengths for the new timing plans were shortened to reduce delays. City staff has been working diligently to adjust and monitor the new timing and have been working with Caltrans staff to coordinate signal timing with Caltrans owned signals. Travel time studies conducted recently indicated that there is a .

The signal at the SR-52 off-ramp onto Mission Gorge is a Caltrans signal and not part of the system, and City staff is working with Caltrans staff to include it in the system. The signal at Cuyamaca Street runs on a longer cycle than the rest of Mission Gorge Road due to heavy vehicular and pedestrian volumes and that the crosses the intersection. This signal is part of the Cuyamaca Street signal upgrade project which was awarded the 2011 project of the year by the San Diego Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

The City has a dedicated traffic engineering staff who are among the best in the field. I am confident that they can help address your concerns. If you have specific questions, please contact Principal Traffic Engineer Minjie Mei at 619-258-4100, extension 189, for assistance.

Respectfully submitted,

Mayor, City of Santee