Countywide Smart Signals

It’s a countywide effort led by CCTA to modernize traffic signals across Routes of Regional Significance, which are the major streets and corridors that connect communities across Contra Costa County and help people reach highways, transit hubs, schools, and job centers. Our primary goal is ensuring that intersections can work better together: upgrades focus on safer crossings, smoother travel, and better tools for cities and towns to manage traffic with real-time information.

Many of the signals across the county are aging and can’t communicate with each other, which makes coordination harder and slows responses when conditions change. This project brings signals up to a modern baseline, so cities have better equipment, better information, and more options to improve safety and day-to-day travel.

All 19 cities and towns plus unincorporated Contra Costa County, along key corridors. In total, it includes over 300 intersections across the county in approximately 365 locations.

Many intersections use older equipment and technology that may not detect what’s happening in real time, especially when traffic patterns change. The upgrades help signals coordinate better, respond to real conditions, and provide cities with clearer information about common problem spots so they can improve safety and timing.

It can! The goal is fewer unnecessary stops and less time sitting at red lights, especially along connected corridors. The new sensors can detect cars, pedestrians, and bikes waiting at an intersection, which helps signals respond more accurately. Older signals sometimes did not detect bicycles accurately, which could mean longer waits. The exact improvements will vary by city and by intersection, since local engineers decide how to use the new tools. CCTA’s online project map shows which upgrades are happening at each location, so residents can see the planned changes in their community and why.

A big part is better awareness at intersections. New sensors can recognize people walking and biking, not just cars, so the signals can be set up for safer crossings or respond to real-time events. It also provides emergency vehicles with the ability to move through key intersections faster when cities choose to use that feature.

The upgraded signals can support transit priority, which can help buses stay on schedule by reducing delay at intersections. When and if it’s used depends on each city’s decisions and local transit needs. Reach out to your city’s engineering or public works department for more information on the upgrades at a specific intersection. 

Traffic signals will be much more capable of responding to real-time conditions. With modern detection and connected signals, cities can use real-time information to adjust timing when conditions change, such as during heavy traffic or crashes. The system is designed with strong cybersecurity protections to help safeguard the network and data. Over time, connected signals can also support better coordination during emergencies, including helping manage traffic flow during evacuations in the event of wildfires or other major incidents.

No. This is a countywide upgrade, but it’s not one size fits all. Every city and town has different needs and goals, so the exact equipment and features can vary by location.

Your local city or town engineers make those day-to-day decisions based on each location’s needs. CCTA’s role is to deliver countywide upgrades and coordinate the network of connections. If you want details about a specific intersection, your city’s engineering or public works department is the best place to start.

This project builds the connected foundation for future improvements. Once signals are modernized and linked, the county will be able to support a future countywide operations center where signals can be viewed and coordinated together. The system is also designed to support V2X technology, which allows vehicles and signals to share safety information. It’s a long-term investment in a safer, smarter transportation network for Contra Costa County!