New Vineyard signal ends jams New Vineyard signal ends jams (April 02, 2004)

Montevino light also stops speeders

New traffic lights were turned on Tuesday at the intersection of Montevino Drive and Vineyard Avenue, almost immediately eliminating half-mile long morning and evening rush hour delays for motorists heading east to Ruby Hill and parents driving west to drop their children at neighborhood schools in Vintage Hills.

Jeff Knowles, Deputy Director of Public Works and Traffic, said the $200,000 signal system also includes for the first time in Pleasanton a radar speed detector that will turn traffic lights red for motorists exceeding the posted speed limits on Vineyard as they approach the signal. Otherwise, the signal will remain green for Vineyard traffic unless traffic approaching the intersection from Montevino or El Capitan Drive triggers a change.

Work is also under way at the heavily used intersections of Bernal and Valley avenues with Stanley Boulevard, where additional turn lanes are being installed. This project will add separate right-turn lanes for eastbound traffic on Stanley to Bernal Avenue and the McDonald's restaurant, and for northbound traffic on Bernal turning right onto eastbound Stanley.

Knowles said added lane capacity was considered for southbound traffic that turns left onto eastbound Stanley, but the plan was dropped for now. Even though evening rush hour traffic often backs up to Busch Road, Knowles said, any relief at the Valley-Stanley intersection would encourage more cut-through traffic to use the already-congested intersection at Valley and Santa Rita Road.

Additional traffic lanes and new lights are also planned for Busch and Valley and on Busch at the new Ironwood Drive entryway into the Ponderosa Homes development. That work will begin within the next few weeks, Knowles said, and will cause lane closures on Busch and Valley during construction.

A new traffic signal system also will be installed on Foothill Road in front of Foothill High School starting next month, with completion scheduled before school opens for the 2004-05 school year in August.

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