Politics & Government

City Tweaks Timing on Fair Oaks Traffic Signals

The timing was implemented to help ease traffic congestion on the construction-riddled street, according to the Public Works Department.

Traffic signals along Fair Oaks Avenue have had their timing readjusted to help unclog traffic, which has been constricted due to construction for the street improvement project.

A release from the city's Public Works Department said the move was "based on " at Wednesday night's City Council meeting. Many business owners expressed to the council that the roadwork has jeopardized their business.

The release also said Public Works is working with the South Pasadena Police Department, which could send an officer during peak rush hours to direct traffic at State and Grevelia streets should the situation call for it.

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The timing adjustments, which were made Thursday, will be temporary.

"Traffic signal timing is always a trial-and-error type of process," said Shin Furukawa of the city's Public Works Department. "It was done to optimize north-and-south flow during construction. If we see that patterns change, we might tweak it again. But for now, once construction's done, we'll go back [to the original timing]."

Find out what's happening in South Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But Gail Dragna, owner of at 725 Fair Oaks Ave. and one of the business owners who spoke up at the meeting, doesn't think changing the signals' timing will make a difference.

"It's a penny in the bank," she said. "The businesses have already been impacted for a month. The people have already been impacted -- they don't use the road. You think people are going to notice if the traffic signal's changed?"

The signals adjusted are at State Street, Hope Street, Mission Street, El Centro Street and Oxley Street.


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