Requirements for a change to an intersection???

clevalley

clevalley

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Ok - had to start the thread... what does it take? Or better yet, what should it take??? A death or two? Pro-active data trending?
 
clevalley

clevalley

...
godsbutterfly said:
Does it take a certain number of accidents? Fatalities? Who the heck do you petition?
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TommyJones was talking about it in the other thread, but it sounds like a certain number of fatalaties triggered a light... at least it use to...

Now there are studies and such done - I would like to hear more about it?

Also - how do you petition for a light or change to an intersection?!?! GOOD question!!
 
tommyjones

tommyjones

New Member
clevalley said:
TommyJones was talking about it in the other thread, but it sounds like a certain number of fatalaties triggered a light... at least it use to...

Now there are studies and such done - I would like to hear more about it?

Also - how do you petition for a light or change to an intersection?!?! GOOD question!!
Click to expand...

if you want to hear more, go to the SHA's site. if you have further questions you can call them for answers. Being a governement organization i am sure they will answer you, maybe not immediately, but i am sure they will
 
High EGT

High EGT

Gort! Klaatu barada nikto
Factors

Some factors to consider about a signal light.
My own is that a signal would have made no difference if the driver is inattentive due to distractions and busted the intersection. Some others to consider...

By evaluating the data and research on the topics describe previously, it can be said that the majority of accidents that occur at intersections are due to driver error. However, there are several permanent factors that also influence the probability of an accident that are unrelated to the driver. Although research has focused on the details of the driver errors that cause accidents, the permanent factors, such as geometry, signals, and signage of the intersection are the easiest aspect for municipalities to correct or improve to make the intersection safer for all involved. These permanent factors account for roughly 34% of accident causes at an intersection in the United States (Better Roads, July 2002).
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http://www.iit.edu/~ipro334s04/Factors Causing Accidents - team a.doc

Abramson says traffic lights alone don't reduce the number of accidents at intersections. Statistics show the chance of an accident at an intersection with signals is no lower than at one without. Also, says Abramson, traffic signals delay traffic on major roads. In fact, with traffic lights at all intersections, it takes a person five to 10 times as much time to travel from point A to point B.
"Most of this time will be wasted on standing in front of a redundant red signal, where no traffic exists on the other road," he says. The list is long of the kinds of things a highway planner could do with that information, says Phillip Tarnoff, director of the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology at the University of Maryland.
"If we knew more about when cars were getting closer to an intersection, we could do a much better job of timing signals," he says.
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News in Science - Traffic lights see into the future - 04/09/2007
 
MMDad

MMDad

Lem Putt
tommyjones said:
MDSHA: Traffic Signals Brochure

here, i'll make it easier for you.......
the site specifically adresses what to do and who to contact.
Click to expand...
Here's something to read.
Seeking the correct solution.
Keep an open mind. Simply describe the situation or problem rather than request or demand that a signal be installed. In many instances, other solutions will yield more favorable results. Sometimes, no change is needed.
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I say close off the cross over. I'd rather see them improve safety and traffic flow than throw a light at the problem. We'd prevent t-bones like this one without creating rear end collisons. It's a win-win.
 
godsbutterfly

godsbutterfly

Free to Fly
godsbutterfly

godsbutterfly

Free to Fly
MMDad said:
Here's something to read.
I say close off the cross over. I'd rather see them improve safety and traffic flow than throw a light at the problem. We'd prevent t-bones like this one without creating rear end collisons. It's a win-win.
Click to expand...

That might be a good idea, I honestly don't know. We just want to know how you petition for a light and what determines whether or not you get one. The petition for the intersection where Aly Purvis was killed is already in motion. We don't know how it got started or what it will take to get it passed. I'm pretty new to the area and so I had no idea where to start.
 
Midnightrider

Midnightrider

Well-Known Member
godsbutterfly said:
That might be a good idea, I honestly don't know. We just want to know how you petition for a light and what determines whether or not you get one. The petition for the intersection where Aly Purvis was killed is already in motion. We don't know how it got started or what it will take to get it passed. I'm pretty new to the area and so I had no idea where to start.
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its all in the link, but its not automatic. I personally doubt this will rank a light. The enginners will probably point to driver error as the cause......

if you read the linked material, you will see that a light is not the first choice, and unnecesary lights cause more accidents.
 
R

residentofcre

Guest
godsbutterfly said:
Does it take a certain number of accidents? Fatalities? Who the heck do you petition?
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When we started working on the intersection at Town Center Drive, HG Truman, and Appeal Lane [State Road intersecting county roads]... we had to write letters about the danger to children. There was a school at the intersection and school busses....

That worked, Calvert County acted as the original funding source and the State took over just recently by timing the light that the county purchased.

I had my daughter write a letter [she was in elementary school] and sent it to the commissioners and the newpaper... if an elementary school child could be afraid of the intersection.... then it must be dangerous... or so the story went...

The action was quick and no one died....



There is an intersection where I work... Fire Trucks :doh::doh: come out opposite a community of apartments, townhouses, and single family homes, at the top of the hill where cars are just beginning to catch that third gear.... and not far from another school....

I haven't written a letter about this intersection [Chancellor's Run & Amber Dr] until now... I figure someone has already.... it's a real mess and someone is going to get killed before the state or the county gets the road widened and the light installed.... who owns it? Well who cares? The citizens that put their life at risk are members of the county and/or the state... so who really should pay for it?


So to answer your question, it's a matter of politics and money....
 
MMDad

MMDad

Lem Putt
godsbutterfly said:
That might be a good idea, I honestly don't know. We just want to know how you petition for a light and what determines whether or not you get one. The petition for the intersection where Aly Purvis was killed is already in motion. We don't know how it got started or what it will take to get it passed. I'm pretty new to the area and so I had no idea where to start.
Click to expand...
The online petition is a feel good way for people to vent their frustration. It carries no legal weight. You're welcome to add your name to it, but be aware that it is an empty gesture.

If people really want to do something about that intersection they will have to write letters to their state senator, state delegate, SHA, secretary of transportation, and even the governor.

The results you receive will be proportional to the effort you put into it. A click on a website takes no effort, and will not result in a change.
 
Midnightrider

Midnightrider

Well-Known Member
MMDad said:
The online petition is a feel good way for people to vent their frustration. It carries no legal weight. You're welcome to add your name to it, but be aware that it is an empty gesture.

If people really want to do something about that intersection they will have to write letters to their state senator, state delegate, SHA, secretary of transportation, and even the governor.

The results you receive will be proportional to the effort you put into it. A click on a website takes no effort, and will not result in a change.
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thats what i got from the online petition as well. And we dont need a light for feel good reasons

considering she wouldn't even do a search on her own, i dont think she is really that concerned.
 
clevalley

clevalley

...
MMDad said:
Here's something to read.
I say close off the cross over. I'd rather see them improve safety and traffic flow than throw a light at the problem. We'd prevent t-bones like this one without creating rear end collisons. It's a win-win.
Click to expand...

Have you ever been to New Jersey??? I know we make fun of people from there but some of their driving laws really make good sense.

1. - No driving in the left lane except to pass... if you are caught riding in the left lane - you are ticketed.

2. - Most left hand turns (in town) are done by exiting to the right and making a small half turn (like taking an exit ramp) back to the road facing a light. From there you make a left when the light turns green...

Make a right to make a left - yep, it sounds crazy, but it really works... and cuts down on T-Bones from what I understand.
 
Midnightrider

Midnightrider

Well-Known Member
clevalley said:
Have you ever been to New Jersey??? I know we make fun of people from there but some of their driving laws really make good sense.

1. - No driving in the left lane except to pass... if you are caught riding in the left lane - you are ticketed.

2. - Most left hand turns (in town) are done by exiting to the right and making a small half turn (like taking an exit ramp) back to the road facing a light. From there you make a left when the light turns green...

Make a right to make a left - yep, it sounds crazy, but it really works... and cuts down on T-Bones from what I understand.
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i want no part of 3 rights to make a left. it might work in the city, but out of town that would be a serious pain in the azz, not to mention expensive as hell.
 
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