The goal of the Traffic Engineering staff is to ensure that traffic flows safely and efficiently on city streets.

Traffic Signals

The City of Escondido maintains 136 city traffic signals, while the California State Department of Transportation maintains 18 signals located at freeway ramps and along State Highway 78.

The City's traffic signals represent an investment of approximately $13.6 million dollars and averages $326,400 per year to operate and maintain.

New Traffic Signals

The Transportation & Community Safety Commission and Traffic Engineering staff investigate unsignalized intersections to assess the need for signals. This assessment includes traffic volumes, safety history, pedestrian use, and other traffic and roadway conditions to determine where signals could organize traffic flows or enhance safety. The Commission makes recommendations to the City Council for signal projects to be included in the City's Capital Improvement Program budget.

Traffic Signal Modifications

The Transportation & Community Safety Commission and Traffic Engineering staff review existing signals to determine if additional modification work is indicated, such as left turn phasing. This assessment includes traffic volumes, pedestrian use, safety history, delay, congestion, and other roadway and traffic conditions that could be affected by left turn phasing or other types of improvements. The Commission then makes recommendations to the City Council for budget consideration.

Traffic Signal Coordination

Approximately 70 signals are coordinated to work with adjacent signals by timing the beginning of the green signal phase at one signal to relate to the beginning of the green at the adjacent intersection.

The City uses different coordination plans during the day to accommodate varying traffic flows. Therefore, not all signals are coordinated at all times.

Speed Limits

The City posts speed limits on arterial streets and generally not on residential streets. Drivers are required to know that the California Vehicle Code states the speed limit in residential areas is 25 MPH.

Red Light Photo Enforcement

Cameras at intersections with Red Light Photo Enforcement equipment photograph all vehicles, traveling at a minimum speed and entering the intersection after the light turns red. The camera does not take photographs during the green or yellow phase of the signal. The photographs are used when mailing a citation to the registered owner of the vehicle. The registered owner information is received through the Department of Motor Vehicles. If the registered owner is not the driver in the photograph he or she is given the opportunity to identify the driver so the citation can be re-issued. There is a stiff fine associated with a Red Light Photo Enforcement citation. More info . . .

Traffic Signs

The City has thousands of traffic signs on its 285 miles of street system. These signs are of three major types: Regulatory, Warning, and Guide signs.

	Regulatory signs include Stop, Speed Limit, Parking Time Limit and other signs that require or prohibit certain traffic or pedestrian movements. Most regulatory signing is black or red lettering on a white background.
	Warning signs serve to inform motorists of potentially unforeseen roadway conditions. Examples include Curve warning signs, School Zone signs, and Signal or Stop Sign Ahead signs. Warning Signs usually are black lettering on a yellow background
	Guide signs are usually white letters on a green or blue background. These signs serve to provide motorists directional information to prominent public destinations such as the Library, Hospital, California Center for the Arts, and other locations

The City conforms to the requirements of the California Vehicle Code, the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and Regional Standards in evaluating the need to use every sign.

For more information, contact the Traffic Engineering section at 760-839-4595 or traffic.engineering@escondido.org.