3/21/2024
Issue 440
Are You Experiencing CV Sync in Cathedral City?

Writing the Community Update allows me a new window to discuss new projects, major events or significant projects that may not receive a lot of attention. Today, I want to focus on one significant project that is now operational. Many of you, our residents, have experienced this project’s effects during your commutes from here to there and back again. Notice that traffic on our major corridors is moving more like a train? Less stop and go? Better traffic flow? All these are a result of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments’ (CVAG) CV Sync Project (Project), and we are a big part of it.
What is CVAG’s CV Sync Project? CV Sync is a project that is providing the regional synchronization of Coachella Valley’s traffic signals to improve traffic flow in the Coachella Valley. Cathedral City has a major role in the Project, as the first phase included East Palm Canyon Drive and Ramon Road. Both are already completed and in operation.

Over the past several years, CVAG’s Staff and City Staff have been ironing out all the technical details, equipment testing, specifications, and ultimately the final plans for the construction of this Project. The core to making this Project a reality was CVAG’s upgrading of Cathedral City’s (as also
other valley Cities) existing traffic signal controllers, traffic management, and traffic communication systems to provide inter-agency traffic signal communication. Once communication was linked between signals, true traffic signal synchronization was able to be programmed along each operational roadway corridor.

How does this work? With the work cited above completed, traffic signal timing can be programmed to strategically turn lights green as a group of vehicles arrives at each intersection to keep the group of vehicles flowing. Ideally, this will continue intersection after intersection. For this to all work the signals must all be set to run on the same cycle length, and most importantly, vehicles move at the posted speed limit.

What is cycle length? Signal cycle length is the amount of time it takes for the signal lights to change from green to yellow to red and back to green. Traffic signals now provide longer green times based on the traffic volumes throughout the day. If the traffic on a major corridor is considerably higher than the intersecting side streets, more green time may be given to the major corridor which results in a slightly longer wait for drivers on the side streets. This cycle length can be changed and varies depending on the corridor volumes and other traffic factors.

Currently, the traffic signals are synchronized on weekdays during the morning and afternoon rush hour periods. Additionally, they are synchronized for major valley events, such as, the recent BMP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament in Indian Wells, and will be for, the upcoming Coachella and Stagecoach Festivals.

The cycle length can be changed and currently is programmed for up to 140 seconds. This 140 seconds for a cycle to be completed is longer than what we are typically used to here in Cathedral City, especially if you are at an intersecting side street waiting for the signal to change. Nonetheless, once you get the green light, you are then able to either cross the intersection or join the existing arterial train of vehicles moving to the next synchronized intersection.

This longer cycle length is becoming the norm for major thoroughfares, as I experienced in a recent trip to Arizona. Over there I timed the major corridors cycle lengths for signals with results from 120 to 140 seconds. Remember the overall goal of all this synchronization is to move the greatest number of vehicles through the intersections with the fewest stops.
CVAG’s Traffic Control Center

CV Sync is controlled by CVAG Staff at their Traffic Control Center in Palm Desert. As part of this Project, Cathedral City received two internal Traffic Monitoring Centers, one located in the Engineering offices of City Hall and the second in the Public Works Maintenance yard offices.

CV Sync is funded by Federal Congestion and Air Quality (CMAQ) grants and State of California Transportation Improvement Program grants. The grants were awarded based on improving air quality by reducing smog created by vehicle idle time at intersections and increasing vehicle fuel efficiency (reduction in the “stop and go”).

As I stated prior, within Cathedral City, East Palm Canyon Drive, and Ramon Road are already in operation with the completion of Phase I. Phase II is underway and will encompass Date Palm Drive, Vista Chino, Dinah Shore Drive, and the Bob Hope and Varner Road intersection. Phase III is in the works and will include Varner Road. CV Sync continues along each corridor’s length from City to City, excepting the City of Rancho Mirage.

I encourage you all to look at CVAG’s internet site for additional information on this Project at: https://www.cv-sync.com.

If you have any questions regarding this Community Update and the Project discussed, please feel free to contact me.
John Corella
Director of Engineering & Public Works
760-770-0327
JCorella@cathedralcity.gov

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