Ask City Hall: Why can’t the City time the lights to all turn green at the same time?

The Gahanna City Engineer’s office is often asked questions regarding traffic signal timing and coordination.  Here are a few facts that may help you understand this complex system.

Traffic signals in Gahanna operate on a time-of-day schedule.  The timing and sequence of each light varies throughout the day.  Many of Gahanna’s signals operate in coordination.  Signal coordination is when signals in a corridor communicate with one another to operate in a sequence providing the motorist a greater opportunity to travel through the next adjacent signal.  Coordination is usually provided in a specific direction depending on volume of traffic.  For instance, during the AM Peak hour, Hamilton Road signals will favor the southbound direction and should change on a sequence which provides a motorist traveling southbound a greater opportunity to travel through multiple green lights while exiting town.

Signals in Gahanna which operate in coordination include Hamilton Rd. from Clark State Rd. to the ramps for I-270, Granville St. from Hamilton Rd. to Olde Ridenour Rd. and Stygler Rd. at Agler Rd. and US-62.  These corridors vary on the times at which they are coordinated, but all should be in coordination during the AM and PM peak hours 7am to 9am and 4pm to 6pm.

Some of the challenges we have when determining timing for a coordinated sequence are:

-          Direction of Coordination during off-peak hours

-          Traffic Congestion

-          Too much delay on side streets

-          Multiple access points along corridor

We monitor and adjust signal timing often.  If there is a section of a corridor listed above that you feel is not performing as intended please provide the location and time of the suspected malfunction.  The Engineering Department will investigate the problem and assure that proper timing and coordination of the signal is restored.

If you have any further questions or would like to make a citizen request regarding signal timing, please contact your City Engineers at (614)342-4050.

Have a question you would like answered?  Leave us a comment or email your question to information@gahanna.gov.