Comments on: Sound Off: Readers call for safer traffic lights

By: stephen

stephen — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:07:14 +0000

I”ve been saying, since I moved to the north bay 4 years ago, that the roads up here are the worst designed roads I’ve ever come across.

They are in massive need of updating.

By: Adam Carolla

Adam Carolla — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:32:36 +0000

I have be ranting about this issue for over a decade. I implore all drives to ingnore the red turn arrows and procede through the intersection when it is safe to do so.
-Ace

By: Dar

Dar — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:21:55 +0000

Another person voting for less restrictive left turns in/around Sonoma County. This has been a great frustration of mine since moving up here from Oakland in 2007.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 20:14:40 +0000

One issue that is often overlooked about left turn arrows is the fact that quite often at intersections with the arrows, is that when no vehicles are in this specific lane, nor have tripped the sensor(s) to turn left, the arrows are still operating, and thusly halt traffic from continuing straight and causing traffic backups and delays.

I live in Petaluma, and most if not all of the major, and some minor intersections are like this. It makes absolutely no sense to have these left turn arrows operate like this if there are no vehicles using that lane. I have spoken with traffic control, and even the Petaluma PD( of which one of these intersections is right next to the station ), and they give no explanation other than to say, “this is what the City, County, and State require we do.”

By: DZerach

DZerach — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:52:53 +0000

As a past resident of Tucson, a large city without any freeways whatsoever going through town, may I share that the LEADING left-turn green arrow light does not necessarily increase safety. Oncoming, opposing traffic can still easily collide with the driver who chooses to race to beat the light because he doesn’t want to sit there for another round. The only thing that helped the safety issue were cameras at intersections to ticket red light runners (enforcement). The fact will anywhere and always remain that making a left hand turn is the most dangerous move available in traffic, however it is engineered. There are three prongs to traffic problems: engineering; education; and enforcement. The amount of traffic engineering in Santa Rosa is indeed overkill. Yet presumably reflect thoughtful, well-considered decisions of past engineers? Do we know why all of these left-turn restrictions were installed in the first place? A basic driver’s knowledge of “left-turn on green always yields to oncoming traffic” should suffice? Someone who doesn’t even know to yield on green when making a left hand turn has missed out or forgotten even the kindergarten level of driver education.

By: Alan Stevens

Alan Stevens — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:23:19 +0000

All these different signal lights, so confusing. Why is everyone in such a big hurry? Let’s get rid of the automobile and all ride bicycles.

By: Eric Lindenbusch

Eric Lindenbusch — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:38:35 +0000

I couldn’t agree more with this letter from Ana! One blatant example of what she’s referring to is the red left turn arrow on eastbound Bennett Valley Road turning left onto Brigham Ave. I’ve never seen westbound oncoming traffic to a degree that would warrant a red left turn arrow. In some places in Oregon and Idaho, there are flashing yellow left turn arrows that mean the same thing as left turn yield on green which I think works wonderfully. I would really hope that Santa Rosa and other Sonoma County towns would review each traffic light intersection to see which ones could have their red left turn arrows replaced with left turn yield on green (or better yet, the flashing yellow left turn arrows). One more thing: After, say, 11 at night, have flashing yellow lights along main streets with little cross traffic at that time, with flashing red lights for the residential streets that intersect with these main streets. This would do WONDERS for improving traffic flow late at night. Brookwood Ave. between College Ave. and Second St. is a perfect example. How infuriating it is to sit forever at a red light when there is no cross traffic to trip the magnetic sensor and make the light change.

By: Naomi Williams

Naomi Williams — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 13:44:16 +0000

I agree 100%. It is so frustrating to sit there waiting for that green arrow when there’s not a single car coming from the other side of the intersection. I think this would do a lot to safely clear up congestion.

By: Robert B. Tanner

Robert B. Tanner — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 11:53:57 +0000

The whole issue of traffic operations with the frankly outdated “Wait for arrow” protected left-turn has been a sore spot for me for the last 25 years. This signal results in unacceptable wait times, increased red-light running, delays to bus service, increased air pollution from too many idling vehicles, discouragement to biking and walking and a host of other issues.

The poster “MC” recognizes the problem, however there are two NEW ‘Protected-Permitted’ left-turn signals now allowed for use in the new 2012 California edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. (MUTCD)

One has an extra yellow arrow on the left-turn faces that flashes when unprotected left turns are allowed. The other simply flashes the existing red arrow when an unprotected left turn is allowed. (You treat this like a stop sign.)

These new signals are far safer than the older ‘Five-light’ signal “MC” showed, as the indications are easier for people to understand. There have been problems with drivers treating the old solid green ball as clear and safe and not paying attention to the sign, ‘Left Turn YIELD on Green’. They then turn left, right into opposing traffic, causing a horrendous collision. This is why Petaluma had to scrap their Protected-Permitted system last year.

I agree with “MC” that something needs to be done about the overuse of protected-only turn arrows but i strongly support the Flashing RED Arrow light as a replacement for the present system.

Also, the new signals allow the red arrow to stay solid if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk with a ‘walk’ signal that is in the path of a left turner.