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SYNCHRONEX NEWS

UPDATED: 05/11/2007 07:59 AM

February 25, 2005, Los Angeles Times A-1

SYNCHRONEX the solution for stalled drivers in Fullerton

By Rong-Gong Lin II, Times Staff Writer

Ed Hart often finds himself sitting in a left-turn lane staring angrily at the red light. Even though no cars are coming toward him in the other lane, the red arrow stays on and on; seemingly for an eternity.

"At night, you're wondering why the light stays red," said Hart, who lives in Fullerton. "I've seen other people turn when no cars are coming" despite the red arrow.

Traffic engineers have an idea to speed things up. On Thursday, Fullerton became the first city in California to unveil an experimental traffic light that officials believe could shrink wait times in left-turn lanes and reduce accidents. Pasadena plans to install several lights in a few months.

The new signal at Chapman and Commonwealth avenues near Cal State Fullerton flashes a yellow arrow in the left-turn lane, allowing motorists to proceed if they find a safe gap in oncoming traffic. In the coming weeks, workers will install the lights at two other intersections.

The lights should be up by fall on Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, near the MTA Gold Line. The three-year experiment in the two cities is being closely watched by the Federal Highway Administration, which is studying whether the lights should be approved for use nationwide. In particular, the agency wants to see if the signals affect left-turn collision rates.

With money for major road improvements scarce, officials see the left-turn lights as a relatively inexpensive way to improve traffic flow; but only if these experiments find that the lights don't confuse motorists and cause more accidents. Traffic engineers believe the lights are most likely to catch on in newer suburban communities, where drivers are already accustomed to the red-yellow-green left-turn signals. These are also the areas where motorists most complain about being stuck at red left-arrow lights when there is no oncoming traffic.

In fact, there has been a 10% to 15% reduction in collisions at the three intersections where the flashing yellow left-turn lights are used.

In Fullerton, traffic engineer Mark Miller flipped on the new lights at 3 p.m. He then got into his car and began making left turns at the intersection, trying to show passing motorists how to use the new signals. At hour later, Miller said, he was convinced people were catching on.

"They are intuitively figuring it out," he said. "It dawns on them what's happening."

Miller proudly recounted the story of one driver who found himself momentarily confused as he approached the flashing yellow arrow. "I saw him move his hands like 'What is this?' Then he got into the intersection and went."

--copyright Los Angeles Times

July 2, 2004, Willow Glen Times

New SYNCHRONEX crosswalk signs installed on Lincoln Avenue

By Carol Rosen, Editor Willow Glen Times

Willow Glen became the first area within greater San Jose to place new lighted crosswalk signs in designated crosswalks.

The crosswalk signs on Lincoln between Aqui and Peets’ Coffee—one of Willow Glen’s most used crosswalks—are the first anywhere, Brian Girardot, president of Synchronex, which designed the signs, told the small crowd that gathered to be first to try out the new signs. He notes that there are some signs in Petaluma and other areas in the North Bay that use a similar technology, but are not the same.

The new signs combine three technologies including light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are lights within the sign that light up when the crosswalk button is pushed. Since there’s no electricity on the street, the signs use solar power to light up and a radio frequency technology to communicate with the crosswalk sign when the button is pushed. In addition, the message can be programmed.

The sign is a prototype offered on loan by Synchronex for an evaluation period of no more than four months, said Laura Wells of the city’s department of transportation. The city has solicited quotes for bids for a second set of LED crosswalk signs that the transportation department hopes to have up by the end of the summer.

A second sign is being planned for the crosswalk near the Le Boulanger Bakery, with others on Lincoln to follow. Up to three other crosswalks will be enhanced with the new signs. The locations for these signs are being coordinated with the business and neighborhood associations after these first two signs are evaluated.

Some people expressed concern that the signs might not be seen by drivers in the left lane when a large truck or bus is in the right lane. The signs, which are between 6 and 7 feet high, could be eclipsed by large vehicles, including SUVs, buses and trucks block signs on the street from the middle lane.

--copyright Willow Glen Times

Oct. 07, 2002, San Jose Mercury News

Traffic flow project gets SYNCHRONEX green light

By Gary Richards, Mercury News Staff Writer

This week, San Jose kicks off the biggest re-timing of traffic signals in nearly a decade, a $500,000 effort to upgrade 223 of the city's 780 signals on 28 of its most congested streets. By spring, from Saratoga Avenue on the west side to Tully Road on the east, and from Blossom Hill Road in the south to Santa Clara Street in the heart of downtown, motorists will be seeing green more often.

And, for the first time, intersections on the borders of neighboring cities are being hooked into the same timing plan. Signals on local streets in Campbell, Milipitas and Santa Clara are being wired to signals on streets in San Jose. Surface streets also will be timed to county expressways and freeway interchanges controlled by Caltrans.

Engineers believe that overall delays will decrease up to 15 percent.

``This is the meat and potatoes for traffic engineers,'' said Ron Northouse, with the city's traffic signals division. ``Once the freeways are built, it comes down to how well we can operate our city streets. And the timing of lights makes a big difference, a difference between waiting and moving.''

In San Jose, 200 signals are already synchronized, meaning about half of the city's lights will soon be working the best they can. Cameras are being added to numerous intersections to better monitor the flow of cars. And, like many cities, San Jose has set up computerized command centers, where technicians watching a bank of TV screens can change the timing of lights with the flick of a switch.

But don't think a light won't suddenly turn red just as you approach an intersection. Before the rage hits, take a look around. You may see a dozen cars lined up on a side street, waiting for their turn to go. Most drivers never see them because, traffic engineers say, we drive with ``tunnel vision.''

``A ton of the anger is driver perception,'' said Brian Girardot, president of Synchronex, a San Jose company that manufactures traffic-timing devices. ``All he wants to do is get from Point A to Point B. When that light goes red, he doesn't care why. He just knows it's holding him up.''

A single driver who endures 10 red lights per trip may find that number reduced to eight or nine. Not a lot, but add 30,000 drivers to the mix on a single street and the benefits grow significantly, especially for the environment, said city engineer Northouse. Those benefits include:

• A savings of 800,000 gallons of gas a year citywide, as cars idle less behind a red light.

• Reduced operating costs of more than $2.5 million for car owners.

• A reduction of 827 tons a year of pollutants like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxide.

A city study indicates that for every dollar spent on getting more green lights, there are $6 to $7 in benefits for each motorist.