To Beat Traffic, San Francisco's I-80 Is Getting 'Smarter,' Not Bigger

More than 270,000 vehicles make their way down San Francisco's Interstate 80 every day. Many of those vehicles will spend hours in gridlock traffic. Thousands will get into accidents every year.

Drivers, many of whom have consistently rated I-80 as the worst in the area, asked for a change and now it's happening. CalTrans and local municipalities have teamed up to create the I-80 Smart Corridor Project.

Instead of adding costly lanes and environmentally risky construction, the project will use a multimillion-dollar "smart network" of electronic meters and signs that will change based on traffic conditions. The creators believe that when it goes into effect later this year, it will reduce traffic and accidents significantly.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson spoke with two of the project's leaders, Randy Durrenberger and Cristina Feraz, for a look at what they see on the road ahead.