Elgin to sync traffic lights on State Street

As most Elginites can attest, getting around downtown can be tricky considering all the construction going on.

Road work downtown will continue through 2012 on certain streets as part of the city's downtown streetscape plan, but there is some help on the way.

The city recently landed a federal grant for equipment to better coordinate the traffic lights at three intersections along Route 31 (State Street) at: Chicago Street, Highland Avenue and Kimball Street.

"It's not a big deal until you're sitting at that light saying, 'Why am I sitting here for two minutes and there's no cars?'" City Manager Sean Stegall said.

Those three areas frequently cause headaches because the lights are not synchronized, and they do not have optical sensors to detect when traffic is coming or there waiting.

In other words, motorists are often frustrated sitting at a red light on northbound State and Chicago while the Highland light is green. Then, the Highland light changes to red just as the Chicago light turns green.

"That will help coordinate the system downtown," said David Lawry, the city's general services director. "Ideally, they will be installed next year."

Lawry said the city rebuilt its downtown traffic signal network three years ago, but did not include those three intersections.

He said the downtown streetscape work has made it difficult at times for motorists to notice how signals work in concert to keep traffic moving.

For example, a truck in use by downtown work crews could set off an optical sensor on a traffic signal causing it to slow traffic coming in other directions, Lawry said.

The city also is making its money go a little further by outsourcing the troubleshooting duties, maintenance and management for traffic lights.

The city council is considering a two-year contract at about $44,680 a year with the firm Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick.

The firm essentially replaces the city's traffic superintendent position, which was eliminated in city layoffs last fall. The superintendent cost the city about $130,000 a year in salary and benefits.

"It does it at a fraction of the cost," Lawry said. "If a problem comes up, the green light seems short or the ped (pedestrian crossing) light seems short, they come out and look at it."