> "My pet peeve are the lights which turn red for non-existent cross
> traffic, especially during times of extremely light traffic of any kind."
>
Wether it's out-of-sync light timing or Chris's example of green lights for no one, the effect is the same. You are sitting at a light when you shouldn't have to be.
Chris says:
> Very often I see citizens suggest that the lights be synchronized on heavy two-way
> streets like Lake Street, or complain that they used to be but are no
> longer. The laws of physics don't make that possible. In general, you
> can synchronize one way streets, or one direction of travel on a two way
> street, but not both directions at once on a two way street. One
> direction has got to get a red from the other's passing eventually.
>
I've heard this argument and also the suggestion that this is a problem of overlapping traffic grids within the city. Observation tells us otherwise. Travel down Riverside Avenue and you will be stopped at most of the 7 lights between Cedar and 25th Ave. S.. When you are stopped and staring across the road at a driver stopped and staring back at you, and there is no cross traffic, something is out of alignment. The Cedar-Riverside neighborhood is very nearly an island as far as access goes The traffic lights on Riverside are at intersections flowing onto side streets and not part of any other traffic grid. These lights behave like most of the lights all over town. Of course Chris is right, it's impossible to sync both directions for a long stretch, but again... when you're stopped and staring across the road at a driver staring back at you...
> The No Turn On Red signs in my neighborhood (except one) were removed > this past spring/summer, and I've noticed a similar change in at least > one other place. >
If this is true, great. I haven't seen it anywhere.
Finally Chris closes with the remark that
> "Yes, ramp meters have proven to be effective." >
Back in 2000 they shut off the ramp meters for study. Changes to the use of the meters were made as a result of the testing. In the end they shortened the period the meters were in use, sped up the cycle time from red light to green, and turned some of the meters off. The meters it seems, had been set too "aggressively"
Dan Prozinski Cedar-Riverside
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