Flashing reds will fade away

City backs plan to optimize timing of traffic signals in downtown area

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff writer

Not a fan of the blinking red lights in the evening and early morning – and oh, yeah, the weekend, too, in Burlington?

Coming soon to the city near you – a change in those blinking reds.

Removing the blinking red lights on all intersections in the city was one of several recommendations by Kapur and Associates to the City of Burlington Common Council last week following a spring traffic study targeting the city’s signalized intersections.

Following several complaints and traffic problems, the council approved an approximate $25,000 study by Kapur to find out just what it should do with the traffic lights. And while not all the problems mentioned are fixable, Kapur is confident it can solve some of the problems.

On the list of items to be addressed this summer:

• Time of day plans for the previously flashing red intersections. Because the flashing red lights may not provide adequate traffic flow – specifically with large volumes of traffic in situations like Friday night football games – the city will switch the lights to fully actuated or “run free” settings that will be determined by where the traffic is at that time.

In other words, if you’re stopped at a red light, you will trigger a loop under the pavement and get the green light so you can move. The city will also go with two “time of day” plans that will move traffic in certain patterns from 6-10 a.m. and from 6-7:30 p.m.

• While there have been questions about adding different turn lanes at Milwaukee Avenue and Pine Street, the alternatives are likely to snarl matters worse, according to Kapur. As a result, the lights will be optimized for cycle length, splits and offsets. The same optimization will be done at the Milwaukee Avenue and Grove Street intersection at Walgreens.

• At Milwaukee Avenue and Falcon Ridge, the cycle will not only be optimized but placed in coordination with all the other lights on Milwaukee Avenue.

That means the lights there will be synchronized with stoplights at other intersections along Milwaukee Avenue.

• The traffic lights will remain at Pine and Adams streets, but be removed at Pine and Jefferson. In place of the lights will be a four-way stop.

• The left-turn signals at Bridge and Jefferson streets and Bridge and Adams will be removed for north- and south-bound traffic. Cycle lengths and splits will also be optimized, as at all intersections.

• Signals will be allowed to run free at the Bridge/Robert/Pine Street intersection, and the northbound left-turn signal at State and Main will be removed.

City Administrator Kevin Lahner was pleased with the recommendations as proposed.

“I think it’s good to get the signals optimized,” Lahner said. “It’ll improve traffic flow.

“I don’t think there were significant problems before,” he added. “I just think this makes it that much better.”