Community Corner

You Ask, Patch Answers: Stop Light at Lark and University Avenues

Find out what public works employees are doing at this busy intersection in town and why and when the traffic signal will be ready to go.

This is the second installment of our new Sunday feature, “You Ask ... Patch Answers,” where we strive to find answers to all your questions—big, small and in-between—about the town we live and work in.

Whether it’s something you’ve always wondered about, some information you just can’t put your hands on or a sudden curiosity, we want to hear it.

Send your queries to or leave them in the comments section below, and I will do my best to dig up an answer for you. You also can call me at 408-391-8725.

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This week, Los Gatos Patch reader Melanie Allen asked: "What is happening on the new stop light that was to go in at Lark and University avenues?

Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Director Todd Capurso said construction has been going on at the busy intersection for about a month with much of the underground work happening now.

Find out what's happening in Los Gatoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Excavation to dig the footings for the traffic signal and run its electrical wires is almost complete, he explained.

The signal is being installed in response to the Los Gatos General Plan since the intersection is considered one of the lowest-level intersections in town, meaning it backs up considerably with traffic during morning and afternoon commute times.

"It's probably one of our only intersections that's ranked at the F level in all of town," Capurso said. "That's why we're doing this. It's a level-of-service issue."

Level-of-service F is given to intersections where the vehicular flow is forced and every car moves in lockstep with vehicle in front of it, with frequent slowing required.

At the intersection, the back-up of cars occurs on University Avenue when drivers going north on the thoroughfare, who want to turn left onto Lark Avenue, waiting for four lanes of traffic to clear, Capurso said.

Because of this, when the cars that want to turn left back up, they also prevent cars from making the right turn, he aded.

The work is expected to finish sometime this month, he indicated.

The signal will also be interconnected to the interchange at Lark and Winchester avenues making them synchronized, he said.

Several rain days in March slowed the project a bit since the contractor couldn't trench when it's wet.


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