Oct 1, 2008 9:44 pm US/Eastern
Boston's Quick Traffic Lights Clean Air, Save Gas
Timed Lights Save Drivers 135,000 Hours, $125,000 Gallons
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The city of Boston is re-timing its traffic lights to save drivers time and money and to save Mother Earth.
"It's about cleaning the air, making people breath cleaner air," said Mayor Tom Menino.
For the past year, the city has been adjusting the times of traffic lights at 60 intersections in the Back Bay to help traffic flow more smoothly.
"By having less backup, emissions go down," said Boston Traffic Commissioner Tom Tinlin. "People are saving more gas, but also you are creating a more clean environment because the vehicle isn't sitting there waiting for it to get green."
Berkley Street was one of the firsts to see adjustments. Steven Teixeira drives this road everyday and has noticed a difference. "Before, you'd catch a green the next on would be a red...the traffic's going much faster now."
City studies of just those 60 intersections in the Back Bay show traffic delays are down 29 percent. The annual estimated time saved by drivers is 135 thousand hours, and the gas savings is 125 thousand gallons.
Marcos Aguilar likes the idea of saving money on gas. He drives downtown everyday to pick up his wife from work. "Right now you know how the economy is a lot of people are trying to save some money."
The city is in the process of re-timing lights at an additional 120 other intersections. Officials say they will update the adjustments every three years.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
