$1M grant marked to improve Midtown traffic light synchronization

ATLANTA — Drivers in midtown could soon see more green lights thanks to a $1 million federal grant, which will be used to sync the traffic lights.

A lack of synchronization among the lights can hinder the traffic flow and lead to frustrating stop-and-go traffic.

"You've got to sit and wait, and you sit and wait. And then you go to the next light," Midtown resident DJ Meyer said.

"It's not timed. As soon as you get to the next light, it's stop again," Midtown worker Koren Conrad said.

As it is now, the city can manually synchronize the lights so traffic flows more smoothly, but the synchronization does not always stick.

"When power goes out, you do have to go back and look at a lot of the lights. It will throw off the timing of them," Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Jill Goldberg said.

GDOT has awarded the city of Atlanta with a $1 million federal grant to install new technology to permanently synchronize lights at some of the 90-plus intersections in Midtown.

"They use technology and computerized systems to keep signals moving and they can change them on the fly if they have to," Goldberg said.

GDOT is working with Buckhead and the area around the Perimeter Mall to do the same thing.

The city of Atlanta is expected to finalize plans for the program in the next month.

As part of the program, the city of Atlanta would partner with Midtown Alliance to run the project. The grant could extend to three years for a total of $3 million.

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WSBTV