The City of Monterey was honored with two awards at the Clean Air Leaders Awards Ceremony hosted by the Monterey Bay Air Resources District. The awards recognize initiatives undertaken by individuals, organizations and agencies in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties.

Traffic Engineers Rich Deal and Andrea Renny each received individual Clean Air Leader Awards for Technology for the Lighthouse Adaptive System installed this spring on Lighthouse Avenue between Hoffman and Reeside in New Monterey. Adaptive traffic control systems are the latest technology for improving traffic conditions by better synchronizing and controlling traffic signals.

The system uses vehicle detection and artificial intelligence software to respond accurately and immediately to real-time traffic conditions. This enables the system to use green light time efficiently and to progress traffic through a corridor with few or no stops, resulting in less fuel consumed and fewer emissions. By eliminating idling due to stops and the resulting acceleration, vehicles burn less fuel and expel fewer pollutants and particulate matter.

The Lighthouse Adaptive System project was funded by AB2766 Emissions Reduction Grant funding and the City's Neighborhood Improvement Program. The cost of research, design, and installation was $668,000. The next phase of this project is to procure funding and install the same adaptive system on Lighthouse between David and Hoffman as well as the Del Monte Avenue and North Fremont Avenue Corridors.

This post is adapted from an article which appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of the City of Monterey’s publication, City Focus.