Far From a One-Light Town; What motorists say about Elk Grove's traffic signals
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2025/08/far-from-one-light-town-what-motorists.html?m=0
In its weekly email announcement, the City of Elk Grove included a segment on the city's traffic light system. While not overly self-serving like much of the information conveyed by the city, it does contrast with what motorists say about the traffic signalling.
Below is the city's story.
Far From a One-Light Town
Ask some of Elk Grove’s earliest residents and they’ll tell you about a time when there was only one traffic light in Elk Grove -- on Elk Grove Blvd. at Elk Grove-Florin Road. While that was the 1970s, Elk Grove had just 58 traffic signals when the city incorporated in 2000. Today, the Public Works Department manages a system of 165 traffic signals, pedestrian signals, and warning flashers.
Signal technicians work around the clock to keep signals functioning properly. All signalized intersections are inspected and maintained on a quarterly basis. Safety monitors are installed at all intersections to prevent conflicting green lights from being displayed. And traffic management staff monitor traffic conditions and update the signal timing for the City’s state-of-the-art traffic management center.
Residents can help keep things running smoothly by reporting when a traffic signal is out or malfunctioning. To report a malfunctioning traffic signal call (916) 687-3005.
Far From a One-Light Town
Ask some of Elk Grove’s earliest residents and they’ll tell you about a time when there was only one traffic light in Elk Grove -- on Elk Grove Blvd. at Elk Grove-Florin Road. While that was the 1970s, Elk Grove had just 58 traffic signals when the city incorporated in 2000. Today, the Public Works Department manages a system of 165 traffic signals, pedestrian signals, and warning flashers.
Signal technicians work around the clock to keep signals functioning properly. All signalized intersections are inspected and maintained on a quarterly basis. Safety monitors are installed at all intersections to prevent conflicting green lights from being displayed. And traffic management staff monitor traffic conditions and update the signal timing for the City’s state-of-the-art traffic management center.
Residents can help keep things running smoothly by reporting when a traffic signal is out or malfunctioning. To report a malfunctioning traffic signal call (916) 687-3005.
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The noteworthy sentence from above is this:
And traffic management staff monitor traffic conditions and update the signal timing for the City’s state-of-the-art traffic management center.
Recently, there were several comments about Elk Grove's increasinly notorious traffic conditions. They were made on the Elk Grove Subreddit.
This is a sampling of those comments:
- The changes they’ve made to the light cycles are so stupid. Traffic engineer needs to be replaced with someone that knows what they are doing.
- Agreed, there’s no proper coordination between the signals whatsoever and it’s been causing awful and unnecessary traffic. Whoever has been in charge of the traffic engineering dept has been so clueless. And the fact that the City let all of the business development at the Elk Grove Blvd/99 Northbound on-ramp near Dutch Bros happen, just tells me this city really doesn’t give a shit about traffic impacts. That segment is not fun to drive through during peak hours
- Are you kidding? It’s the green wave. It solved all the problems and now it takes 45 minutes to drive across town. What a time saver lol. Stupid traffic
- Haha! That green wave thing was the dumbest thing Ive ever heard of! They tried to be innovative but instead jacked up everything about driving in this city. Last night around 5:30 the green lights for EB and WB traffic at EG Blvd at Franklin were lasting maybe 30 seconds at best. Traffic was backed up to Four Winds at times. Pathetic planning on the city’s part there.
- New to town.. what is the "green wave?"
- It’s a poor attempt to synchronize green lights on both Laguna and EG blvd. Not very effective
- literally laughed when i read your response... i live in a neighborhood between EG Blvd and Laguna and OMG what a shit show!! funny enough, i grew up in lincoln and watched it blow up virtually overnight.... and then i move to EG and it seems the same is happening here too. i hate the congestion!!
There were 33 comments and over 450 "upvotes" on the topic.
Granted, these social media comments are a small fraction of Elk Grove motorists. However, most Elk Grove motorists will verify that traffic congestion is worsening with each passing day.
So, as the mayor, city council, and the public works and innovation departments brag about all the supposed traffic flow programs they have invested in over the last several years, we have to ask the question: where was that money spent - a company owned by one of their brother-in-laws?
#8647 #NoKings #ProDemocracy
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