Since I first ran for Concord City Council in 2010, I have been asked, “When is the city going to sync the traffic lights?” The good news: much work has been done on the city’s adaptive signal system, fiber network, and signal upgrade projects over the past 15 years. The bad news: things will not drastically improve until the end of 2026/early 2027 as the adaptive signal system, fiber, and signal system upgrade are implemented and major roadway construction projects are completed. Unfortunately, due to the much-needed roadwork currently happening throughout Concord, it is extremely difficult to capture correct traffic trends and retime signals correctly.
Here is a summary of the status of each of the three projects that together will make our traffic flow smoother:
Signal System Upgrades – Our signal system upgrades, including cabinets, controllers, and video detection, will be 70% complete by March 2025, with all upgrades to be completed by early 2027.
Fiber Network – We have made significant progress connecting traffic signals to fiber, a requirement to implement an adaptive signal system. The traffic signals along East Street, Monument Boulevard, Treat Boulevard, and Willow Pass Road have been connected to fiber, with Port Chicago Highway traffic signals to be connected within the next 18 months.
Adaptive Signal System – We have completed the installation of an adaptive signal system on Willow Pass Road, which is not yet activated due to the sewer project currently underway. Post-construction, when all lanes are again open, transportation staff will evaluate the adaptive signal system’s performance and determine its efficacy. If the system performs well, immediate implementation will start on Treat Boulevard and Concord/Galindo/Monument, followed by Clayton Road.
To pull all this together, city transportation staff is developing a Transportation Management Center (TMC) at the City’s Corporation Yard, which is expected to be constructed by the end of 2025. While there is currently no funding for TMC equipment, city staff is actively pursuing opportunities, including a partnership with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), on which I serve, to build the Concord TMC into a sub-regional TMC for Central Contra Costa County. That way, the City of Concord would share the cost with CCTA and other jurisdictions. This would also enable the City of Concord to be actively involved at a regional policy level as it relates to traffic operations on freeways and local arterials.
So, hang in there. There is a smoothly synced traffic light at the end of the tunnel!