Traffic has fire-truck drivers seeing green Traffic has fire-truck drivers seeing green (August 25, 2004)

Sometimes sirens aren't enough.

When traffic clogs roads, fire trucks lose precious time trying to get through. This problem has become especially worrisome on Willow Road between Middlefield Road and Bayfront Expressway in Menlo Park.

But what if a fire truck always got a green light? That's the thinking behind an emergency vehicle priority system planned for the area.

Thanks to a $180,000 federal grant received by the city last year, devices will be installed at 10 traffic signals on Willow Road, city transportation engineer Rene Baile wrote in a staff report. The devices will allow approaching fire trucks to pre-empt the signals, ensuring that they stay green so the trucks can go through.

The project is expected to go out to bid this fall.

The system is intended only for fire trucks, which are "slower and more difficult to maneuver than other emergency vehicles such as ambulances and police vehicles," Mr. Baile wrote. Safety concerns might also arise if high-speed police cars used the system, he added.

To receive the grant, the city has a matching fund requirement of $20,000, which will be paid for by the Measure A sales tax for transportation projects, Mr. Baile wrote.

On August 17, the City Council approved an agreement with Caltrans, the agency administering the federal funds, stating that the city would pay to maintain the systems. Menlo Park Fire Protection District officials have agreed to reimburse the city, Mr. Baile wrote.

The city and district are also looking into installing similar systems on Sand Hill Road, Marsh Road, Middlefield Road and Laurel Street.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.