Los Gatos residents breathed a sigh of relief–and fresh air–because the vehicles that have gridlocked town streets all summer apparently stayed home last weekend. But that doesn’t mean that beach-bound weekend traffic is finished for the summer: Labor Day is yet to come.

Still, Saturday’s temperatures were cool and comfortable, and streets were clear from the Almond Grove to Highway 9, and on N. Santa Cruz Avenue and Main Street. Los Gatos Boulevard was an easy drive, too.

Even better, downtown parking lots that have been empty on weekends were once again full–by early afternoon there were just a few available spots here and there.

Many people are blaming this summer’s beach traffic problem on Waze, saying the mobile traffic app is telling people to avoid Highway 17 gridlock by cutting through Los Gatos.

“Waze has continued to talk with us, which is positive itself,” parks and public works director Matt Morley said. “I am hopeful we will be able to get them to provide directions to their customers that will have less impact on our residential streets.”

Morley also met last week with state and local transportation officials. “Our meeting with Caltrans and VTA was very productive,” he said. “Both are working closely with us to add changeable messages to their permanent message boards on the freeways and to issue permits so we can add our own portable message boards as well.”

Caltrans has been approached about closing the southbound Highway 17 on ramp at the Toll House on weekends, but has been resistant to the suggestion.

Moving forward, a report from the consultant the town hired to look for beach traffic solutions is scheduled to be delivered in time for the town council’s Sept. 1 meeting.

Morley, however, reports that the steps the town has taken so far appear to be working. “I spent some time reviewing the changes we had put in place, which included the continued closure of Tait and Massol avenues. We also changed the function of the signal at Main and Santa Cruz and that seemed to work really well,” he said.

There were also sandwich boards posted at all four corners at Main and Santa Cruz last Saturday that said, “Four way signal,” giving out-of-town drivers an extra heads up.

Temperatures this Saturday and Sunday are supposed to drop down into the mid-80s, so Morley expects traffic to be low this weekend, but all bets are off for Labor Day weekend when heavy traffic is once again predicted.

And here’s some more food for thought: Former Los Gatos Town Councilman Joe Pirzynski, who is now a member of VTA’s executive strategic council, provided some traffic figures compiled by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “The figures show that in 2009 there were 18,730 daily commuters coming from Santa Cruz to Santa Clara County. By 2013 the number was estimated at 27,000 daily commuters, with Los Gatos as the pinch point,” Pirzynski said. “The assumption is it’s going to keep growing because the jobs are here.”