Manteca traffic flow is on target to improve in 2025.

That is because the Manteca City Council on Tuesday is expected to award various contracts involved with a $4.9 million endeavor to synchronize traffic signals at 50 intersections throughout the city.

When initial federal funds were awarded, it was noted it would be usual for a city the size of Manteca being less than 200,000 residents to undertake such an elaborate citywide signal synchronization effort to improve traffic flow while at the same time reducing pollution from idling vehicles.

The project includes upgrading existing traffic signal hardware and software, optimizing signal timing, and enhancing interconnect functionality.

It required an exhaustive upfront effort by specialists to use existing data, speed limits, traffic volumes and such to devise system upgrades designed to substantially enhance traffic flow.

The upgrades will allow signals throughout Manteca to adjust to real time traffic conditions.

The upgrades will also allow corridors to have traffic signals synched for vehicles traveling at the speed limit.

The results are expected to mirror the substantially improved movements that have been seen on Main Street through downtown since new software was added to traffic signals from Alameda Street to Moffat Boulevard several years ago.

TJKM, which did extensive research on citywide traffic movements, is under contract after work is done to observe improvements and to make sure they do what they are intended to do,

That will allow any issues to be addressed.

The project was undertaken with the development of a citywide fiber optic master plan.

The city in 2017 was awarded a $3 million federal pass through grant by Caltrans to optimize traffic signals to reduce congestion and to reduce air quality issues from idling vehicles that produce more emissions than those that are moving.

Manteca was able to cobble together other grants from the state to bridge the funding gap.

The upfront process that was required got derailed by the pandemic.

It wasn’t until late 2023 that city staff was able to move the project forward after being delayed by staffing issues.

The City Council meets at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com

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