How do I get a new signal installed?
Installing a new traffic signal first requires determining if a signal is needed. If a signal is needed, then a method of funding and constructing the signal must be found. Evaluating the need for a traffic signal requires careful analysis of the accident history, the intersection geometry, and amount of traffic. The number of traffic accidents almost always increases when a signal is installed, as interruption of free flow results in an increased number of rear-end type accidents. Certain types of accidents that tend to be more severe can often be reduced by installing a signal. The analyst must weigh the different types of accidents and compare them to federal guidelines. There are certain requirements mandated by the Federal government that must be met before a signal can be installed. These requirements are called Warrants and are outlined in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA-MUTCD).

If a signal meets the warrants outlined in the CA-MUTCD, the next challenge is to find a method of funding construction and maintenance of the signal. One way this is done is conditioning new development to install a signal on a street that leads to a major subdivision. A new signal usually costs more than $250,000 to construct, and then additional dollars will be needed for annual maintenance. All intersections that meet signal warrants are put in a database and ranked corresponding to their fulfillment of warrants. Those intersections are signalized as funds become available, at a maximum of one per year. Requests for new traffic signals can be referred to the Traffic Engineering Division at 707-543-3814.

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1. How are speed limits established and how can I reduce or increase the speed limit on a particular street?
2. Can the City install "Children at Play" or "SLOW" signs on my street?
3. Can the City install a deer crossing sign at a particular location?
4. Can I get red curb painted in front of the fire hydrant by my house?
5. Can the City paint red curb so I can see getting out of a driveway, street or parking lot?
6. How can I get a stop sign installed on a neighborhood street to slow speeders down?
7. What is a commercial vehicle prohibition?
8. How can I get a radar speed feedback sign on my street?
9. How long can a car stay parked on the street?
10. How does a signal operate? Is a specific signal operating correctly?
11. How does a signal operate? Is a specific signal operating correctly?
12. Why do I have to stop? Why are signals so poorly synchronized?
13. Why do I have to wait so long after I stop at a specific signal?
14. Why isn’t there enough green time to get the traffic through the signal for a specific movement?
15. How do I get a new signal installed?
16. How do I find how much traffic there is at a specific location, or how many accidents there have been?
17. How do I find how a signal was operating at a specific time and date, and if it was operating correctly?
18. How does a pedestrian signal work?