March is traffic signal timing month
The department of Public Works will be systematically going through all traffic signals in the city (Staples Mill to Belvidere and 95 to the James) and updating the timing. The result should be that traffic moves smoother.
Most of the lights are pretty well timed in the city. However, I have 2 suggestion for focus areas…
- Broad between I-195 and the Boulevard – it seems like I’m guaranteed to stop at least 3 times in 0.5 miles
- Belmont from Grove to Cary – it’s rare to go even 2-for-4 on these lights (Grove, Floyd, Ellwood, Cary)
Hmm, I wonder if that will change the light on Roseneath at Monument – which at 6am never changes.
I don’t think there’s any good way to get from Grove to Cary if you’re east of 195. I’ve lived in two apartments on Grove and never found a reliable way.
Thanks for the post, I had no idea this existed. They should really add arrow lights to places where you have the only green light, like coming out of Ellwood’s, or Jefferson and 25th. Visitors obeying the lights have no way of knowing it’s ok for them to go. Silly Richmond.
MAJOR PRIORITY: exit ramp from 1-95 S to Cary Street. That left hand turn lane is never long enough to fit in all the cars trying to turn onto Cary.
Melissa: I agree about coming out of Ellwood’s.
The Broad and Belmont timing suggestions are issues I deal with EVERY DAY. The city should really take out one of the sets of lights there on Broad that are very likely only ten feet apart from each other.
Broad Street eastbound @ 195 is terrible. I often sit at one red light while a half a block ahead the light is green waiting to turn red as soon as mine turns green. Actually all of Broad is bad in both directions from 195 to Belvidere. I often avoid it by using Monument or even Grace.
I thought the point was to slow traffic with the staggered lights so folks could not hit them all in a row, standard practice I thought, any traffic engineers out there want to weigh in?
The light at Floyd and Lombardy is the worst!