Normal sequence
Randy Smith, Americus
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I would like to know who promoted or approved the change to the traffic light sequence down Sixth Avenue (Business 50) in recent weeks.
I’m not liking having to stop at nearly every traffic light when driving through town, especially when there is one in every block like in the downtown area. I have been driving through Emporia for 32 years now; the light sequence/pattern has been much the same the entire time.
Please don’t try to claim the pattern hasn’t been changed nor try to blame it on the recent change to 30 mph speed limits through the downtown area. I haven’t completely broken my habit of driving 20 mph through downtown yet. I cuss every time I go through towns like McPherson where you are required to stop at every stop light, now Emporia is doing it too? It is absolutely unacceptable to be stopped at every intersection; there is not a valid excuse for it at all.
The wear and tear on my vehicle’s brakes and drive train starting and stopping constantly is bad, not to mention the wasted fuel at idle waiting for the longer stop sequences. If this is someone’s idea of getting more people to stop or shop downtown, I want them to know it will have the opposite effect on me.
Randy Smith
Americus
hickory (anonymous) says...
I noticed that too Randy. Maybe they just got out of adjustment. It's a real pain.
December 23, 2010 at 1:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
krazykansan (anonymous) says...
Well I'll be dang. Wife and I were in town yesterday and from Olpe, and we hit every light on commercial then every one going west on 6th and had to stop.
I did not think much about it but did comment to wife that this must not be our day for catching the green lights. Forgot about it until now.
If it is broke fix it, please. It was a pain to stop at every one of them for sure...
December 23, 2010 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jasper007 (anonymous) says...
Raising the speed limit to 30 mph just gave the populace the right to go 35 mph. At least, that has been my experience. It took a little time to get used to the 30 mph, but I constantly get passed even at that speed. Good place for Emporia's finest to have a radar check!
December 23, 2010 at 3:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lowereastside (anonymous) says...
I'm glad you published this article we thought the same thing, who the heck changed the stoplight sequence! PUT IT BACK Please......
December 23, 2010 at 3:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
empgazfan (anonymous) says...
I absolutely hate this traffic light pattern. It is designed to slow traffic down instead of facilitating its flow. I find I have to go 60 or 65 to make it through all of them on the green, and frequently I fly through on the yellow. I don't like going through on the yellow, but I have to because of the idiots who set up the sequence. They are encouraging people to speed and should be fired from their job.
December 23, 2010 at 6:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
When the light turns from green to yellow I like to stop and look in my rear view mirror. The expressions on the face of the driver behind me can be quite entertaining at times. If they look like they are about to explode, I take extra time when the light turns green to ensure the coast is clear before proceeding. :-)
December 23, 2010 at 6:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Ha REWBA, you road rage instigator!
I do much the same with the folks who are always in a big hurry, like to ride your bumper, and are too stupid to change lanes to get around you. The closer they get, the slower I go. Some of their reactions are comical. I also like to make the street squirrels who drive the foreign pieces of slug trail with the tractor mufflers think I want to race them. Just as we near an officer setting along 6th, I lure them into thinking the race is on. When they take off roaring their little sewing machine pieces of junk down the street I stay at the speed limit trying to maintain a single lane while laughing my head off at them for getting pulled over.
The stoplight pattern is way out of sequence, or it was changed to facilitate someone's idea of generating more revenue. Either way, I agree, it needs to be fixed.
December 23, 2010 at 8:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
REWBA,
"The stoplight pattern is way out of sequence, or it was changed to facilitate someone's idea of generating more revenue."
You could have something there.
I heard at the coffee shop someone at the city has their whole retirement portfolio in companies that manufactures brake shoes :>)
December 23, 2010 at 8:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
empgazfan (anonymous) says...
What I like to do is when I see a wench yakking on her cell phone (there are plenty to choose from!), I cut in front of hem and slam on the brakes. I like to watch their mouths go wide open in surprise and at the sudden realization that they have not been paying attention. I am always hoping they will rear end me, the air bag will inflate and shove their cell phones down their throat. That's about the only way I know of to teach these idiots, who put every other driver and their passengers at risk, a lesson on the need to concentrate on the task at hand.
December 24, 2010 at 8:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Misogynist!
December 24, 2010 at 8:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
Merry Christmas, empgazoo!
December 24, 2010 at 8:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bloomsbury (SC DIXON) says...
A single police officer could sit out where Wendy’s used to be and write more tickets than traffic court could keep up with, any given day, any given time. (Think of how much revenue the city could take in merely by enforcing its own laws.) I “speed” on 6th most of the time, I keep it right at 35 mph, and they pass me like I'm sitting still. And, yes, a great many of them talking on their cell phones. A friend of mine from Topeka says, based on what he observes of Emporia driver’s, that our little town must have the highest percentage of emergency cardiac surgeons in America…that’s the only explanation for the incredible hurry most seem to be in. My personal favorite was the other morning, a lady nearly t-boned me as I drove east on 6th…sure, she was on her phone BUT she was also smoking a cigarette and drinking a mug of coffee at the same time! Triple whammy! Of course, it was all worth it when I swerved, tapped my horn, AND SHE FLIPPED ME OFF!!!
December 24, 2010 at 1:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
Misogynist?
I had to look that one up in the Urban Dictionary. It is defined as: A man who hates every bone in a woman's body, except his. :-)
Thanks for that fifty dollar word create! I think I'll carve that one into stone so I don't forget it.
December 24, 2010 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
"I heard at the coffee shop someone at the city has their whole retirement portfolio in companies that manufactures brake shoes :>)"
They should have invested in the oil commodities too :)
December 24, 2010 at 4:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Very good, REWBA, I like that definition. Will have to try that urban dictionary sometime.
December 25, 2010 at 11:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
TexasGirl (anonymous) says...
The sequence has also changed at 12th & Commercial. It used to stay green going east/west unless triggered by a pedestrian pushing the button or traffic coming from the south on Commercial or from the circle drive of ESU.
Now it is the opposite -- it stays red to east/west traffic until they trigger it to change. This is RIDICULOUS. It only makes sense to make the default green light the one on the street with the most traffic. Get a clue, people!
December 27, 2010 at 11:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
REWBA (anonymous) says...
The traffic lights on 6th avenue might be annoying but the traffic situation on Industrial is becoming dangerous as southbound traffic moves into oncoming traffic to make a left hand turn into Braum's. I went up Candlewood to get some KFC...No problem getting in. Getting out? That's a whole different story. I prefer the traffic lights downtown to the madness that has been created out by Wal-Mart. How long before taxpayers are forced to spend a few millions to fix the north end of Industrial?
December 27, 2010 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
As soon as the developer from KC dangles the Lowes carrot closer to the gullibles.
December 27, 2010 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )