I drive about 9 miles to work each day by taking surface streets. The 9 mile commute typically takes 30 minutes due to all of the traffic lights. Some stoplights turn red every 20 seconds even though there is never traffic going the other way. Why???????? There is such great technology available that would allow us to coordinate the stoplights. We waste so much time and gas sitting at red lights. Also, what's with all those left turn arrows? We should get rid of those for many intersections. Often, they are not needed and motorists have to spend more time waiting. We should really assess what intersections need left turn arrows and remove the arrows from intersections that do not. HInt, if only one or two motorists typically turn left during each signal, the arrow is not needed!

RAND should know as they are located in the city with some of the most traffic-timing-unfriendly signals in the area.

I read an op-ed from the 1930's that state the City of LA would be drastically reducing congestion by "timing the lights". This ridiculous mess of an idea totally leap-frogs over common sense - which would dictate that we try and shift people out of private cars an onto congestion reducing modes. Further this idea paints a goal of high speed automobile travel in an urban setting - a lunatic idea if ever there was one, and a formula for ever more "accidents" that claim thousands of lives annually in the U.S.