Visalia City Council Member Don Landers has a well-known pet peeve, and it's one he's never been shy to talk about: red lights at intersections.

In a report this week to the City Council, Public Works Director Andrew Benelli talked about the city's plans to spend about $305,000 over the next four years to change all of the city's traffic signals from incandescent bulbs to energy-saving LEDs, or light-emitting diodes.

Signals at many intersections have already been partially converted. "We already did all the red lights, now we're going to do the yellow and green lights," Benelli told the City Council.

Landers couldn't help himself: "Somehow I always knew your priority was the red lights," he said with a grin.

The LEDs not only use less electricity than their older incandescent predecessors, but also last longer, reducing maintenance costs, Benelli said.

Signal synchronization -- timing traffic signals so drivers going at a moderate speed can sail smoothly along major streets without being stalled by a red light -- has for years been a concern for Landers, who frequently complained about traffic on his daily work drives on Demaree Street and other thoroughfares before retiring from the Tulare County Sheriff's Department earlier this year.

Benelli also warmed Landers' heart by reporting on plans to spend about $600,000 over the next six years to synchronize traffic signals along key streets throughout the city -- a move that should speed traffic flow, reduce the time that motorists have to wait at intersections, save fuel and reduce air pollution from idling cars.

We know Landers likes the idea; now let's hear what you think. Does $900,000 sound like a lot of money to spend to change bulbs and synchronize the lights, or is it worth the cost to save energy, smooth the commute and reduce your gas use?