Delays At Temecula's Winchester/Ynez Intersection: Study

TEMECULA, CA — A Washington-based company that sells data on traffic and transit patterns has determined that an intersection in Temecula is delaying drivers more than just about any other in the state: Winchester Road at Ynez Road.

But is the finding accurate?

INRIX compiled the U.S. Signals Scorecard using GPS data from cars and cell phones. Billed as the first nationwide analysis of individual traffic lights and intersections, the scorecard looked at 210,000 intersections in California and the nation in October noting how many cars passed through or idled while waiting for a signal light to change.

The study found the Winchester/Ynez intersection delayed motorists more than any other in the state, with the exception of two. Newhall Ranch Road at Bouquet Canyon Road in Los Angeles County was the worst, and Newport Boulevard at W. 19th Street in Orange County was second-worst.

Because the Temecula intersection is so heavily trafficked, totaling all the seconds of all vehicles delayed at the crossing added up, according to the report. Even though there are only 24 hours in a day, INRIX came up with 1,081 "daily hours of delay" at the intersection as gleaned from drivers' GPS data. For motorists who don't use GPS or who disable their location services on cell phones, they could not be counted.

INRIX determined drivers only caught a green light at the Temecula/Ynez crossing 33.7 percent of the time, and the average amount of time spent idling at a red light was 40.4 seconds.

Considering the intersection includes three left-turn lanes from northbound Ynez to westbound Winchester — with a freeway right there — the comparison to many other California intersections may not be quite fair. Also, anyone who knows Southwest Riverside County could have gripes about other big delays in the region.

For example, weekend and afternoon rush-hour traffic flow along eastbound Murrieta Hot Springs Road, just east of Interstate 215 in Murrieta, can be maddening. And while major improvements are underway, the Railroad Canyon Road exit off Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore, has frazzled drivers for years with traffic signals just east and west of the freeway being some of the most bottlenecked during afternoon rush-hour.

When Patch reached out to INRIX for questions about its report, we were referred to the company's Signals Scorecard Map, which lets users see data about all the intersections INRIX surveyed.

Pat Thomas, director of public works for the city of Temecula, confirmed the Winchester/Ynez intersection is one of its most heavily trafficked in the city, but traffic flow is always being monitored for improvement — literally.

From a command center at Temecula City Hall, city employees keep an eye on motorists thanks to surveillance cameras posted at key intersections. Of the 127 traffic signals in the city, there are 25 surveillance cameras installed. From City Hall, the timing on smart traffic signals can be adjusted, if warranted, and any intersection mishaps can be quickly addressed, Thomas said.

The Southwest Sheriff's Station also has the video feeds, Thomas explained.

That type of technology helps prevent traffic jams, so much so, that another 15 cameras will be installed by year's end along the city's three main corridors — Winchester Road, Rancho California Road, and Temecula Parkway — thanks to federal dollars doled out by Caltrans, Thomas continued. The grant money will also fund the technology to ensure signals keep vehicles moving, he explained.

"It will improve the flow of traffic," Thomas said of the project.

What's your opinion? Where are the biggest bottlenecks in Southwest Riverside County?