CITY OF LOCKPORT: Turn lane substitute measure halted

Local News

August 31, 2009

Staff Reports The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Mon Aug 31, 2009, 11:24 PM EDT

Mayor Michael Tucker on Monday ordered an end to the delayed red light during peak traffic hours at Locust Street and Lincoln Avenue, the congested intersection near Lockport High School.

Currently, southbound vehicles on Locust may not make left turns onto Lincoln between 2 and 7 p.m. daily. Signs are posted indicating the rule.

In tandem with that prohibition, the city had the traffic light set up to hold back southbound through traffic on Locust for seven seconds every light cycle during those peak traffic hours. It was meant to give a bit of lead time to northbound vehicles attempting lefts onto Lincoln (going toward Transit Street).

Problem is the light sends mixed signals to vehicles and pedestrians, according to Jim Gugliuzza, the Lockport school board member who complained about the setup.

Essentially, for seven seconds, the light is red on the north side of Locust and green on the south side. Pedestrians may interpret the red as a sign it’s OK to cross Lincoln, but drivers on the other side of the light fixture may proceed onto Lincoln on a green arrow.

Gugliuzza said he recently witnessed a Locust-to-Lincoln left turner nearly strike a pedestrian on Lincoln.

“What bothers me is you’ve got kids crossing the street on a red, traffic coming on a green and both are in the right,” Gugliuzza said. “It’s confusing and it’s dangerous.”

The light-timing delay is to cease as soon as possible, Tucker said. The engineering department is looking into the cost of lit, timed “walk/don’t walk” signs to guide pedestrians, while the resident-led Traffic Advisory Committee is to revisit the question of how best to manage traffic at the intersection.

The traffic committee recommended, and the Common Council approved, peak-hour changes last year in response to neighborhood complaints about congestion blamed on vehicles waiting to make left turns from Locust onto Lincoln. Some of the same residents were overwhelmingly opposed to creation of left-turn lanes there.

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