Boston stoplight tune-ups seen saving gas, driver's time

Boston drivers waste hundreds of thousands of hours stuck at traffic lights -- and hundreds of thousands of gallons of precious gasoline as their cars idle. Now the city says it's moving to adjust the lights -- saving people's time and the planet at the same time.

Timing adjustments to the lights at 60 intersections in the Back Bay this summer have sharply reduced traffic delays, city officials said today. The officials estimated that, on an annual basis, the adjustments will save 135,000 hours of people's time and 125,000 gallons of gasoline, while eliminating 9.5 tons of carbon monoxide emissions.

The city says it's now expanding the fine-tuning of lights citywide. A second phase of the project is nearly complete, with 29 more signals in six neighborhoods adjusted. After that, another 91 signals will be adjusted.

"To cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions is a great accomplishment, and easing traffic congestion in the process is icing on the cake," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a statement.

"We're always looking at ways in which we can lower our emissions and be smarter about moving traffic," Thomas J. Tinlin, the city transportation commissioner, said.

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