Heber City engineer Russ Funk said the adjustments are meant to improve traffic flow on busy U.S. 40, especially during peak hours.
“Improvements were made to prioritize northbound traffic in the a.m., balance both directions at midday and prioritize southbound traffic in the p.m.,” he said.
He told the Heber City Council Aug. 5 the changes also give pedestrians more time to cross Main Street where it intersects with 100 South, Center Street and 500 North.
UDOT also adjusted signals to prioritize school traffic at the beginning and end of the class day.
It changed the balance of left turn arrows and side street traffic, too. Funk said turning left from Main Street onto 1200 South may seem strange at first – drivers might think the light skipped the left turn lane.
“They have basically made a flashing yellow on the through phase, and then they come back to a solid green left turn arrow at the end,” he said. “And so, it actually provides more time to turn left, just it’s kind of a different order.”
Funk said the adjustments can only do so much; more comprehensive traffic solutions like the Heber Valley bypass are needed to make a bigger difference for commuters. Still, he said he hopes these changes are positive.
UDOT completed its signal timing study in March and made the adjustments earlier this summer.
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