Special report: Synchronizing traffic signals in Colorado Springs

The synchronization of traffic signals, or lack thereof, is cited by many drivers as a major contributor to traffic congestion in Colorado Springs.

“Over by Motor City and Nevada Avenue, only four cars can make it through the left turn light before it turns red,” said Alix Bertrand, a local driver. “Exactly four cars. If you’re the fifth car, you’re waiting two or three minutes.”

Powers Boulevard, Briargate Parkway, Platte Avenue, Eighth Street and Academy Boulevard are commonly mentioned by drivers as having the worst congestion or the longest wait times at red lights.

“The signals turn red just as you get to them,” said Kaitlyn Bertrand, a local driver. “It seems as though you’re stopping at every light.”

Another local driver, Russell Gaik, agrees.

“I’ve been in other cities,” he said. “In my opinion, the synchronization of lights in those cities is a lot better.”

Kathleen Krager, the city’s traffic engineering manager, said one solution is simple — slow down.

“We synchronize the signals based on the posted speed limit, not on the actual traffic on the road,” she said. “The problem is most drivers go five to 10 mph over the speed limit. If you slow down, you’ll make it through intersections more frequently.”

KRDO NewsChannel 13 tested that theory by twice driving the length of Academy Boulevard — once at the speed limit and once slightly above.

Driving at the speed limit, our crew took 25 minutes, 37 seconds to travel 12.8 miles and caught a red light at five of 37 intersections; driving at the faster speed reduced the time by five minutes and the number of red lights by one.

Those results leave us right back where we started.

Krager said a better system would synchronize signals based on real-time traffic.

“But that would cost too much and take too long,” she said.

A post on the social website Reddit stated that a traffic engineering school considers the city as the worst example nationally of poorly-synchronized traffic signals.

Krager disagreed.

“It’s more or less an issue in every major city,” she said. “We’re sensitive to it, and we try to make improvements where and when we can.”

Krager said her staff monitors traffic flow daily and sends crews out to adjust traffic signals.

Many intersections have cameras, motion detectors or radar to keep traffic moving smoothly.

Drivers must understand two things, Krager said.

“The busier the street, the longer it gets a green light,” she said. “And some stretches of busy streets are so long that they require several synchronization cycles.

Krager said research on traffic flow along Powers Boulevard — which she considers the most challenging road to synchronize — will be finished soon and will improve conditions for drivers there.