The city of Saratoga installed backup batteries at 14 traffic lights this summer to be used in case of emergency power outages to keep traffic flowing safely.
Most of the cost of the $182,000 project was covered by Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE). The Sunnyvale-based nonprofit awarded Saratoga a Community Resilience Grant of $139,000.
“Many of our busiest signalized intersections are within or adjacent to high fire hazard areas and have lost power during planned outages in recent years, causing delays and confusion,” said Saratoga Mayor Tina Walia, a member of the SVCE Board of Directors. “We quickly realized that the issues we encountered during a planned outage would be drastically exacerbated during an emergency.”
The batteries are located at 14 traffic lights around the city, including Saratoga Avenue at Bellgrove Circle, Fruitvale Avenue and Cox Avenue, and…
Saratoga’s backup traffic light batteries operate during power outages – The Mercury News
