More On The Faulty Traffic Signal

08/31/2010 -- The following Google Earth "360 photo" illustrates the sweeping nature of the turn at the corner of Swan Street and Route 165, at the bottom of our hill.

Once the photo comes up into focus, you can use the directional wheel (located at the top left), to view the entire intersection -- all 360 degrees!

If you click the left arrow on that wheel just once, you will get a very good view of the entire southeast corner of the intersection, taken from the middle of the street, out on Route 165. Hit it a second time and that angle -- looking straight up Swan Street -- illustrates how the viewpoint of both drivers and pedestrians who are emerging from South Franklin Street, simply do not have a clear line of sight of northbound traffic that may be turning off of Route 165 onto Swan Street, until it is dangerously close to them. Many residents on the street, and others who use this route, have complained that they must inch well out onto Swan Street, before getting enough visibility of the corner to feel safe enough to proceed.

It is dangerous! This problem was not taken into account when the light was designed, even though numerous City officials were informed of it. Take a look.


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You may have also noticed that this "360 photo" was taken before the installation of the new traffic signal.

The last post here outlined two problems . . . one was this lack of a clear line of sight while emerging from South Franklin. The second problem was made plain by this photo:

Anyone pedestrian operating the traffic signal down on Route 165 on that corner cannot see down Route 165, and is currently compelled to step into the roadway of Route 165 in order to see. If a vehicle is coming up 165, and especially if it has a green light and is turning onto Swan Street, the extreme danger to pedestrians is obvious.

But just pointing out problems is not constructive, unless one is also willing to offer a reasonable solution.

So, what we are now proposing as at least a temporary solution to both of these problems, would be for officials to "square off" the intersection, perhaps by installing a line of highly visible and ground-mounted vertical delineators, or similar devices that are actually attached to the roadway, in order to gently lead traffic turning right onto Swan Street, and into a more squared-off pattern instead of being able to tightly sweep the corner.

While these devices are very visible, if they are bumped or brushed by a vehicle, they fold over and do not do damage to the vehicle.

Such a temporary solution would be very inexpensive, and it could safely serve to resolve the problems until adequate funding for a more permanent solution (reconfiguring the corner) can be implemented. Considering the extraordinary length of time it took the City to implement this traffic light "solution" having a temporary solution in place could reduce the risks involved and possibly save lives.

Here are the four basic beneficial effects from the solution I am offering as a suggestion:

a.) it would slow down the northbound traffic on Route 165 making any right turn onto Swan Street; b.) it would bring that traffic a little further north, so that both pedestrians and vehicles emerging from South Franklin Street would actually be able to safely see those vehicles making the turn onto Swan Street; c.) it would allow pedestrians waiting for the light to turn to get a safe look down Route 165 before stepping into the roadway; and d.) it would actually shorten the distance pedestrians need to travel while walking across Route 165.