Synchronized traffic signals? Not!

I am forever reading stories about how after years of work and millions of dollars, some city or another has managed to synchronize their traffic lights so you can get through town more easily.  As a software developer myself, the idea that it can possibly take that long and cost that much is patently absurd, it is also not true that they did it.  Take our own city for example.  I read a story earlier this year touting the same thing, however it just simply isn't the case.  I drive around this city a lot as I work from home and have lots of pick ups and drop offs to do with the kids, school and church activities.  It is 2 miles and 8 traffic lights to church.  typically I hit 6 of those lights red, like 90% of the time.  The school is 9 traffic lights and 4 miles away, the results are pretty much the same (let's ignore the insanity of the traffic at Antonio and Banderas when that private school is getting out, between the pedestrians and the cars, it is a nightmare).

The only time you hit these lights green is between about 9pm and 5am, for some reason the syncing works then and I can get to the freeway in about 5 minutes instead of 15-20 minutes.  Does anybody ever go and test this stuff after it is announced?  You can't live in this town and think these lights are synced up.  You'd think the Green movement would be all over this.  The amount of fuel and pollution generated by having to stop and start at all these lights is crazy.  Oh, there is one way to make it through the lights, that is to go about 10mph over the speed limit, and maybe that was really the objective, to write more traffic tickets.

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Update December 23, 2013
I ran across this story.  http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/57276984-90/traffic-percent-system-state.html.csp - this should be adopted everywhere ASAP.