Tyler Traffic Lights to Be Retimed for Smoother Commutes

(Tyler, Texas)  Traffic. It's a word that raises the blood pressure of many East Texans. It also tests the patients of the most patient person in the world.

Go for a drive in Longview around Loop 281 or down Jackson Street in Jacksonville and you'll experience stop-and-go traffic for miles. It doesn't get any better in Tyler.

Whether it's heavy traffic, someone turning right into a business driveway, approaching a stop sign, or traffic signals the slowdowns are annoying and there doesn't seem to be any relief in the near future, until now.

Tyler traffic could be flowing smoother soon

The Tyler Traffic Department has plans to retime traffic signals at some major intersections on the east side of town which should improve the flow of traffic along East Loop 323, Front St., and Fifth St.

The intersections slated for retiming are:

• Loop 323 at Commerce Street
• Loop 323 at East Erwin Street
• Loop 323 at Walmart Driveway
• Loop 323 at Old Henderson Highway (Spur 124)
• Loop 323 at East Front Street (SH 31)
• Loop 323 at East 5th Street (SH 64)
• Loop 323 at McDonald Road
• East 5th Street (SH 64) at Old Omen Road
• East 5th Street (SH 64) at Golden Road
• East 5th Street (SH 64) at Palmer Avenue
• East Front Street (SH 31) at Palmer Avenue
• Old Henderson Highway at Palmer Avenue

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Retiming of Tyler traffic lights is a multi-year project

In 2019, the City Of Tyler embarked on a mission to make traffic in the Rose City move more in synch and smoother with the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Master Plan. The city has been evaluating signals along South Broadway, Loop 323, Old Jacksonville Highway, and other portions of town.

Timing has been completed at 85 of the 150 signalized intersections in the city covering more than 29 miles of roadway according to the city.

READ MORE --> City Of Tyler retimes 18 intersections with traffic lights

The city says these coordinated updates have saved drivers over 854,000 vehicle hours annually and more than $28 million in total estimated yearly delay costs.

When the city retimed 15 intersections along Gentry Parkway, Glenwood Boulevard and Palace Avenue in 2024, it resulted in:

• Delay reduced by 42%
• Average speed increased by 25%
• Vehicle stops dropped by 36%—more than 16.2 million fewer stops annually
• Emissions cut by 22%, reducing carbon output by more than 21,000 tons annually
  13.5 million vehicle hours saved each year—equal to more than 23 years of cumulative driver delay
• $7.5 million in estimated annual peak period delay savings

The city is putting forth an effort to make travel in Tyler safer. With the retiming of these intersections let's hope that traffic in Tyler will flow much smoother.

Honestly though, no matter how much work the city of Tyler puts into retiming the lights, when you're stopped at a red light, you just feel inconvenienced!

Be patient, a green light is usually less than 30 seconds away.