Adaptive traffic signal systems are coming to Willow Road, Bayfront Expressway and Marsh Road this month. Willow Road and Marsh Road currently have outdated coordination or synchronization signal plans and Bayfront Expressway traffic signals are uncoordinated or unsynchronized. The goal of the project is to implement an adaptive signal timing system along these corridors that will dynamically adjust signal timing in real time to improve traffic flow and reduce traffic congestion especially during the peak commute times.

On November 14, 2017, the City Council adopted a resolution to support the Bayfront Expressway, Willow Road, and Marsh Road adaptive signal timing project and for staff, in partnership with Caltrans, to submit an application to fund this project to San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s Measure A Highway Program. In August 2018, the City received $173,250 from the Transportation Authority to perform all the planning work necessary to implement the adaptive signal timing system, including the development of the time of day coordination plans during AM, midday and PM peak times. 

Within the next few weeks, City staff, the City’s consultant and Caltrans will implement time of day coordination plans on Willow Road, Marsh Road and Bayfront Expressway. Fine-tuning of these plans will follow thereafter. During the peak commute times, commuters should be able to experience traffic flow improvements along Marsh Road and Bayfront Expressway and on Willow Road, although perhaps not as significantly right away due to the ongoing interchange construction. This project should be completed by late winter or early spring 2019, with the deployment of the adaptive signal timing system on these corridors.

For more information about this project, please contact the Transportation Division.