An ongoing problem

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008 at 3:45 p.m.
When it comes to the issue of traffic lights and red-light runners in Chesterfield, few people know the cause better than the Chesterfield Observer.

Over the years, Chesterfield Observer publisher and editor, Greg Pearson, has received many letters from readers fed up with waiting and waiting at intersections in Chesterfield County. And he's agreed to share a few of the letters with us.

From May 5, 2007: "Hull Street needs traffic lights to be synchronized"

Dear Editor,

After reading your article [May 16] on the impending additional disaster[s] west of Winterpock Road on Hull Street Road, it once again stoked my anger about the horrible job that continues to be done on "Little Northern Virginia." This area has been and continues to be a disaster for well over three years now. The Virginia Department of Transportation or Chesterfield continues to build, widen, barricade, add lights, many of them totally unnecessary and make life miserable for those of us who must use that horrible piece of roadway.

There are five signals between Winterpock and Old Hundred roads, [a distance of] just 2.5 miles. At least two of those signals have access and egress for only business centers and shopping centers which could be easily right turn only with no light. I have personally called both the county and VDOT and requested that they synchronize the signals [all red and then all green] instead of you having to stop for two to four of them -- backing up traffic. This would cost a whopping $0 and just think of all that precious gasoline that could be saved!

Now, they want to do the same to the west corridor that they have done to us. I say to those already living here -- get active. Beg, plead, do whatever to stop the "monster" from growing, and worry your legislators until they "see" the problem, and have it fixed. By the way, 10 lanes won't be enough if they don't correct the signal situation!
-- Irvin F. Maslow Sr., Chesterfield

(Dale Totten of VDOT's Chesterfield Office says those traffic lights are already sequenced and monitored but his staff will check. Editor)

From Oct. 24, 2007: "Traffic light is unfair"

Dear Editor,

I read with interest your article, "Traffic sting nets 31 tickets" in your Oct. 3 issue, an article concerning motorist traffic light violations at the intersection of Huguenot Road and Midlothian Turnpike. As a traffic citation victim myself at this intersection, I went back to the intersection to develop statistical data in rebuttal to my citation, prior to my court appearance. I conducted a practical study, based on actual observations of many vehicle transits of the intersection. I am a retired engineer, and I do my homework. It was my determination the yellow light is not timed to be long enough to allow vehicles to cross the intersection at normal speeds …

When you approach the intersection from any direction, you must cross 11 lanes of traffic to clear the intersection. Furthermore, the traffic lights are installed on beams across all roads at the far side of the intersection. In other words, when the light changes, you must cross 11 lanes of traffic before you pass under the traffic light that controls traffic in your direction. The next part of the problem is the timing of the traffic light cycle. The yellow light duration is only 3.41 seconds. This was based on timing many cycles of the yellow light in the north and south directions with a stopwatch. This is not enough time for vehicles to cross 11 lanes of traffic at a reasonable speed. If the light changes from green to yellow at the time a vehicle enters the intersection, the vehicle cannot make it across the intersection before the light changes to red, unless the vehicle is going faster than 30 mph (average speed through the intersection).

The final complication is the traffic congestion problem. During peak traffic periods, traffic backs up with vehicles required to wait more than one cycle to get through the light. During these times, traffic slows to much less than 30 mph through the intersection. This means that the last one or two vehicles in every string of traffic, even if they enter the intersection under a green light, will not be able to clear the intersection before the light changes to red! This is obviously an unfair situation … (to read the full letter, visit the Chesterfield Observer online). 
-- David M. Dean, Midlothian

So, what do you think? Join in on the conversation and leave your comments below.

-- Karri Peifer, arts and entertainment writer

Green light special

Thursday, Jan. 24 at 11:15 a.m.
I was prepared to complain about how long I sit in traffic lights on my 11-mile commute to work. But this morning I was lucky. There seemed to be less traffic for some reason. I guess the traffic light gods knew that I was carrying a stopwatch with me to time how long I sat at red lights. Today, just about every light turned from red to green as I was approaching it. This morning I spent only 1 minute and 14 seconds stopped at nine traffic lights in Chesterfield County. In the city, where I go through about the same number of lights, I sat at red lights for just 1 minute and 11 seconds.

However, there is a problem with traffic flow when traveling through Chesterfield County – especially near Chesterfield Towne Center. It often takes 15 minutes just to go from the Robious and Huguenot intersection to get to the shopping center at the corner of Midlothian Turnpike and Courthouse Road. I often see a light turn green, then quickly change to red, while I move about five car lengths. This is how road rage starts.

Part of the problem is a growth issue with new neighborhoods and new shopping centers popping up overnight. This is an issue that goes beyond traffic lights with new schools having to constantly be built. That's another story for another time, though.

So, what is the solution? Do we just shut up and deal with it or can traffic lights be changed to improve the traffic flow? Right now, I don't have a clue. What do you think?

-- David Hylton, editor

--------------------  

Seeing Red

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008 
There's been a lot of hoopla in the local media lately about red-light runners in Chesterfield County.

They're out of control, is the basic premise, and Virginia has the numbers to prove it. According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, Chesterfield County is home to the top six "high crash locations" in the greater Richmond area. One of the top reasons for crashes: red-light runners.

And this isn't news to Chesterfield County. As Richmond.com reported a few years ago, Chesterfield's intersections have been accident prone for years.

And at long last, the county is responding. There's been a recent spree of police officers staking out high-traffic intersections and red-light cameras to capture the light runners in action. This seems to be a favorite solution.

But as a former resident of Chesterfield County, and decades-long resident of Richmond, it seems to me that Chesterfield County is missing the point.

Don't get me wrong, we need to stop red-light runners from running the lights. But an important issue is getting over-looked in our rush to fine, photograph and penalize red-light runners. Why? Why are Chesterfield residents running red lights?

Of course, why does anyone run a red light, but why are Chesterfield residents doing it so blatantly, routinely and frequently that they consistently round out the top spots for dangerous intersections. It's almost as though they think they have to run red lights in order to get anywhere.

Which brings me to my point. Anyone who's driven in Chesterfield County anytime in the last five years knows that you do have to run red lights in order to get anywhere. And Midlothian Turnpike and Hull Street Road are the worst (and most populated) places to try and get anywhere.

My most recent experience is typical of my everyday experience. A few weeks ago I stopped by PetSmart in the Home Depot shopping center on Midlothian Turnpike.

I picked up dog food, exited the parking lot and got in one of the two left turning lanes to head back to my South Richmond home. I sat through one light cycle, then another, then another. At each light cycle I counted. By the time the second car (yes, second!) was in the middle of the intersection, the light turned yellow. So the third or fourth car waiting had to run the light to get through.

I got through on the fourth light cycle and, I can tell you, the light wasn't green as I eased through the middle. Nor was it yellow.

That's my recent story of encountering the lights in Chesterfield County. And I know everyone has one. I want to hear yours. Just leave it in the comments section below and correctly answer the 2+2 equation (it weeds out spammers). We'll be updating this blog throughout the rest of the week.