A little training could make downtown driving smoother, according to Twin Cities transportation officials.

They’re taking a refresher course on traffic light timing, the first step in getting a better rhythm between red lights downtown.

“What is frustrating is getting a green light, traveling 200 feet and having to stop at another red light,” said Lewiston Public Works Director Paul Boudreau. “That happens a lot now, and it is what needs to be looked at and controlled.”

The Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments is sponsoring three classes on traffic signal maintenance for Lewiston, Auburn and state transportation officials. The classes began last week and feature Internet lectures by traffic signal experts from the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

It’s the first step in convening a local group to come up with better traffic signal policies.

“It’s not much of a problem now, but it’s a good idea,” said Jason Ready, transportation planner and engineer for the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments.

Traffic signals in Lewiston and Auburn are not linked. Most of Lewiston’s traffic signals on Main Street downtown are controlled by individual loops. Cars trigger the lights by rolling over spots in the pavement.

“That’s a really good system, and it helps with the overall flow of traffic,” Boudreau said. “There are no lights stopping cars if there is no side traffic, and that’s good.”

But Main Street is where Lewiston gets most of its complaints. Those come mostly during busy traffic times with plenty of cars triggering the traffic loops.

“What happens is people learn to avoid those areas and start looking for alternate routes,” Boudreau said. That’s not good for people that live along those alternate routes, and it’s not good for downtown businesses.

Lights can be linked to move traffic more efficiently through Lewiston and also between cities.

“Another part of the problem is that the lights have not been updated much in a long time,” Ready said. “What worked 10 years ago doesn’t make much sense now. Traffic patterns have changed, destinations have changed and so have driving conditions.”