Traffic signal changes set for September

Work will dovetail with local street improvements

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

As the summer drags on, so does the plan to modify some of the City of Burlington’s traffic signals.

The start of the traffic light modification – the result of a traffic study done by engineering consultants Kapur and Associates during the spring – is tied to the street improvement project, according to City Administrator Kevin Lahner.

Lahner said that the pre-construction meeting was held recently, with the changes to the signals taking place in September. The changes are intended to improve traffic flow and adjust to different volumes now that the bypass highway has had and impact.

Part of that plan will be the elimination of flashing red lights during ‘off’ hours at some intersections. Several years ago when the city instituted the flashing lights – essentially creating four-way stop signs at certain intersections – the response was largely positive.

However, now officials don’t see it that way.

“There’s a couple of reasons,” explained Lahner. “The one big one, which is a real concern, is the railroad tracks.”

Because there are flashing reds after 7:30 p.m. at most downtown intersections with traffic signals, the two remaining intersections that don’t flash – Bridge and Adams and Bridge and Jefferson – create problems for those who don’t drive the roads every day.

“For those unfamiliar with the city, it’s confusing,” Lahner said.

Also, optimizing the signals – meaning that they would be more responsive to traffic patterns – should resolve most of the issues, Lahner added.

The final factor is not as quantifiable, Lahner said.

“There is some sentiment out there that if you have the flashing reds, it looks like the city is closed,” he explained.

One of the flashing red intersections is set for what should be a good upgrade. The intersection of Jefferson and Pine, with most of the traffic now on Pine Street, will be one of those intersections being “optimized.”

When the fix is done, Pine Street traffic will get a green light until someone triggers the signal on Jefferson.

“The whole system is going to be modified somehow,” Lahner said.