Better Ask Barry: Are stoplight times changing?
Are stoplights turning red more often than before? Sometimes it seems that way.
A viewer asked if the timing of the lights on SR-68 had been changed. She said she’s getting stopped at every light.
Caltrans controls the lights there, and its officials told us nothing has changed.
But it does seem like the lights are timed against us.
“Friday nights are probably the worst,” said Lorraine, a driver who visits Salinas from Carmel Valley often.
We asked traffic officials from a couple of local cities if they ever change the length of signals. They said no. It’s usually fixed.
The city of Salinas periodically surveys traffic patterns to determine how long the lights stay red.
“On the corner of Alvin and Main — to turn onto Main by the waffle shop – that one takes forever,” laughed another driver named Diana.
You’re likely to wait the maximum length of time at an intersection like the ones in south Salinas, where the lights are timed to accommodate large trucks, which don’t exactly jack rabbit off the line.
The city says the maximum wait time is two minutes.
We put that to the test and timed a light at Sanborn and Tervin Streets, and it came in at just under two minutes!
In Monterey, a new network of lights is on the way, which will be a lot more adaptive. But until then, the timing is fixed and doesn’t change by season or for special events.
This may be more about “feel” than “fact.”
If we’re seeing red, it’s likely our imagination.
Got a question? Better Ask Barry.
