Agenda Item
City Council
Item #: 3.5. 8/22/2023 File #: 23-0532
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Tom Kisela, City Manager
FROM: Christopher Cash, Public Works Director
1. SUBJECT
Agreement with Orange County Transportation Authority for Countywide Signal Synchronization Baseline Project.
2. SUMMARY
This cooperative agreement between the City of Orange and Orange County Transportation Authority establishes the respective responsibilities of each agency to develop and implement inter- jurisdictional traffic signal synchronization along various corridors within the City as part of a countywide effort to enhance traffic flow and reduce congestion.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
Approve the agreement with Orange County Transportation Authority for the Countywide Signal Synchronization Baseline Project; and authorize the City Manager and City Clerk to execute on behalf of the City.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
None.
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
Goal 1: Provide for a safe community
b: Provide and maintain infrastructure necessary to ensure the safety of the public.
Goal 3: Enhance and promote quality of life in the community e: Develop and strengthen collaborative partnerships to enhance and promote quality of life programs, projects, and services.
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
Since 2011, through an annual call for regional corridor projects, Orange County Transportation Authority’s(OCTA) Measure M2 Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Program (Project P) has been successful in re-timing over 2000 signals in Orange County. In the past decade, ten major corridors within the City of Orange have been selected for competitive Project P grant funding and synchronized and re-timed - all at various times within the past decade. Projects funded through Project P have improved travel times, reduced delays and congestion, and increased the number of successive green lights drivers experience in their daily commutes. However, an arterial corridor City of Orange Printed on 8/17/2023Page 1 of 2
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Item #: 3.5. 8/22/2023 File #: 23-0532
successive green lights drivers experience in their daily commutes. However, an arterial corridor experiences the most benefits immediately following a re-timing effort, as it was optimized for the current traffic conditions. With traffic patterns and volumes fluctuating throughout the years since the re-timing efforts, these timing plans become less effective, especially when crossing corridors are re- timed impacting the progression along the arterial corridor. Therefore, it is best practice to periodically re-synchronize traffic signals to ensure operational efficiency and adjust for changes in traffic.
After a decade of re-timing regional corridors through various calls, OCTA aims to build and reset the synchronization baseline for Orange County’s Signal Synchronization Network (SSN) through the Countywide Signal Synchronization Baseline Project (Project). This project would help ensure that the timing of all signals on the SSN are revisited on a consistent basis rather than relying on an overdue corridor to be nominated by participating agencies. As part of this effort OCTA has engaged all 34 local cities, the County of Orange, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) as participants in this countywide project.
The project will accomplish the following:
1. Set a countywide signal synchronization baseline by re-timing approximately 2,500 Orange County signals along regionally significant corridors to avoid any crossing coordination conflicts and ensure signal timing is based on current traffic volumes.
2. Separate Orange County into zones with signals and corridor segments grouped based on traffic progression and to facilitate implementation.
3. Transition from a corridor-based to zone-based approach that is re-timed on a regular basis to minimize conflicts with crossing corridors. Monitor the performance of the signals in the interim and enhance upcoming re-timing efforts to maximize the benefits of the zone-based approach.
It should be noted that OCTA will continue to offer annual calls for corridor projects that balance signal synchronization (timing changes) and signal capital improvements (equipment and hardware upgrades) under Project P so that Orange County signals continue to be modernized.
The cooperative agreement describes the duties and responsibilities between OCTA and the City of Orange on the Project for the next five years. By entering into the cooperative agreement, the City of Orange would be agreeing to support OCTA’scountywide efforts by providing requested existing traffic signal data and plans, committing staff time to review recommended timing plans, and overall participation to implement the Project. OCTA will be the lead and implementing agency for the Project and as part of this effort, will be procuring and managing a consultant to collect any traffic data necessary and develop and implement synchronized timing plans. OCTA has secured Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds for the implementation of the Project. There is no funding obligation for the City to participate other than in-house resources (staff time) as needed.
Staff recommends approval of the agreement with OCTA and for Council to authorize the City Manager to executed on behalf of the City.
7. ATTACHMENTS
· Cooperative Agreement No. C-3-2428
City of Orange Printed on 8/17/2023Page 2 of 2
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