It's the key to a faster commute, green light, after green light, after green light.
Traffic lights on Shaw Avenue are now synchronized.
"If it helps me get across town faster then I'm all for it," said driver
Chris Epperley.
The City of Fresno tapped into a $7 million state bond for the project which
works by monitoring traffic flow.
"There's not only a savings in time but that equates to
fuel savings and that means reduced emissions little by little adds up to air
quality in the Valley," said Public Works Director Scott Mozier.
The city estimates a trip down Shaw from Fresno Street to
Chestnut should go down from 8 minutes to 6.
Golden State Blvd to Blackstone, which used to take 25 minutes, is now
reduced to 16.
But does it work?
(Reporter): "Alright, here we go,
Golden State Blvd all the way to Blackstone we're going to test it out right now
in our vehicle and see exactly how long it takes to get there.
So it took us just about 11 minutes to get
from Golden State to Blackstone on Shaw.
That's actually less than the 16 minutes predicted by the
city."
"I guess that would be good. I'm not in a hurry so
if I was I guess I'd appreciate it," said driver Jacob Reed.
At 40 MPH, a shorter drive is a big deal, for the more than
49,000 cars making a turn onto Shaw everyday.
"It's terrible. I try to avoid Shaw as much as possible," said
Epperley.
The major improvement is now in full gear.
Lights that hold you up, are now in the rear view mirror.