Your City's Signal Statistics

Currently, there are 200 traffic signals within the City of Fremont's borders.  The City owns, operates, and maintains 158 of these traffic signals.  The remaining 42 signals are owned, operated, and maintained by the State Department of Transportation (Caltrans) because they are within the State's property or right-of-way. 

For the 158 traffic signals that the City oversees, 148 of the signals are currently interconnected back to a central signal system located at the City's Traffic Management Center (TMC).  Interconnecting traffic signals provides a means of communication between the traffic signals in the street and the central signal system in the TMC.  This allows staff at the TMC to monitor the traffic signals for proper operation and alerts staff to the first instance of a malfunction (i.e., loss of power, red flash, etc.).  Establishing a line of communications is also required to establish traffic signal coordination. The ultimate goal is to have all traffic signals interconnected back to the City's TMC.

Advantages of Traffic Signals

Traffic signals offer the most concise control for establishing right-of-way at an intersection.  They relay a clear message of what a driver, bicyclist, or pedestrian can and cannot do as they approach the intersection.  The primary function of a traffic signal is to assign right-of-way to conflicting traffic at an intersection.

When effectively timed, a traffic signal increases the traffic handling capacity of an intersection and improves the safety and efficiency of pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic.  Signals also reduce certain types of accidents, especially right-angle collisions.

Disadvantages of Traffic Signals

When traffic signals are installed that are not justified or warranted, they can actually reduce the overall safety at an intersection.  While many realize that traffic signals reduce more severe right-angle collisions by effectively assigning right-of-way, many do not realize that less severe rear-end accidents typically tend to increase.  Unwarranted traffic signals also cause excessive delays, disregard of the signal, and diversion of traffic to other streets without signals.

Traffic Signal Warrants

Traffic Engineers use State and Federal guidelines as a foundation to determine if a traffic signal is warranted.  However, the decision to install a traffic signal is not solely based on satisfying the warrants.  Other factors (such as field conditions, tradeoffs, and consideration of other traffic control devices) are also considered by the Traffic Engineer before a decision to install a traffic signal is made.

The following is a summary of the 8 warrants contained within the State Traffic Manual:

1. Eight Hour Vehicular Volume
2. Four hour Vehicular Volume
3. Peak hour (Volume and Delay)
4. Pedestrian Volume
5. School Crossing
6. Coordinated Signal System
7. Crash Experience
8. Roadway Network

Approaching a Flashing Red, Flashing Yellow, or Dark Signal

Flashing Red:  According to the California Vehicle Code, when a red signal indication is illuminated with rapid intermittent red flashes, a driver shall STOP before entering the intersection.  The driver may proceed, subject to the rules applicable to making a stop at a four-way stop controlled intersection.

Flashing Yellow:  When a yellow signal indication is illuminated with rapid intermittent yellow flashes, a driver may proceed with caution through the intersection.  Drivers must yield to pedestrians or bicyclists.

Dark Signal:  When a traffic signal goes dark, due to loss of electricity, it is considered to function the same way as a four-way stop intersection.  A driver shall STOP before entering the intersection.

Reporting a Traffic Signal Malfunction

While we make our best effort to detect and repair traffic signal malfunctions, we often times are not the first to be aware of such malfunctions.  Thus we rely on our citizens, who are often the first ones to notice a malfunction, to report such an event to the City.

To report a traffic signal malfunction, please contact:

Business Day (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.)	All Other Times, Weekends, Holidays
Traffic Engineering	Fremont Police Department
510-494-4745	510-790-6800
Online Report a Hazard Service Request

Please provide the following information when reporting a malfunction:

• Location and Time.  Please identify the intersection and approximate time and date when the malfunction was observed.
• Nature of Malfunction.  This may include a flashing signal, dark signal indicating a power outage, specific signal lamp outages, misaligned signal indication, etc.  Please provide as much detail as possible including direction of travel.
• Who you are.  Please provide your name and a daytime phone number where staff may contact you if there are any questions.