Planners Say Traffic Light Sync Money Won't Do Much

"A new attempt to reduce congestion throughout Los Angeles by synchronizing all traffic signals will have only a minimal effect on the most bottlenecked intersections despite assurances from leaders that driving delays will decrease, officials acknowledged Tuesday."

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Tuesday that Los Angeles would receive $150 million to synchronize the city's 4,385 intersections with signals -- reducing drive times up to 16%, or shaving about 5 minutes from a 30-minute drive."

"But officials with the city's Department of Transportation said synchronization alone would not bring much relief to intersections beset by bumper-to-bumper traffic."