In less than 90 seconds, anyone should be able to clearly understand why we are frustrated with traffic and why we think that there are improvements that can be made without paving six lanes the entire length of 141.
While I took this video in Peachtree Corners, it was only because I saw it as an example of what ails us in Johns Creek. We all experience the same thing on a frequent basis in Johns Creek. It just happened to be convenient for me to film at this location. Frustrated with the additional 10 minutes it took to get to Earth Faire at 12:30 p.m., I made it a point to stop and record it.
The questions I keep asking is why. What does it take to resolve these sorts of issues with our traffic lights?
The video was taken Friday, March 10th 2017, just before 1:00 pm. I am facing north on 141 on the eastern side of the intersection.
Be sure to watch to the very end where you will see as I zoom just how far the backup extends.
Your argument here is valid. However, and I’m not certain if any specific ordinances/laws/codes are in place which establish maximum/minimum traffic light durations, but I’ve seen situations whereby certain authorities when assessing the best course of action to accommodate traffic flows, have only a limited amount of time before the signal must allow the cross directions to go. I read a few months ago in the JC Herald (which my neighborhood receives), that Johns Creek can allocate a maximum of 160 seconds to a single flow of traffic (single flow being North/South or East/West) before the cycle must handle the other flow. That’s two minutes forty seconds total for Northbound Left and Straight, both directions Straight, and Southbound Left and Staight, before the green light must be handed off to East/West.
If during the cycle, there is no wait for a specific phase, that phase need not be used. For example, if you have cars waiting both directions straight, and Northbound Left, then only two phases are necessary for that cycle: Northbound Left and Straight and Both Directions Straight. The consequence is that the northbound straight gets more time allocated during that cycle, but that’s because there are no waiting cars in the Southbound turn lanes. Likewise, if there are no cars at all waiting to turn left from either direction, then both straights have the full two minute forty second allocation.
To get back to the point, the problem is that if there are any waiting cars from the cross directions, then the light has to change.
The only real way we could ease the backup is to convert 141 into a fully limited access highway. Increasing the length of a traffic signal because traffic is that backed up won’t really solve the issue. Nobody wants to spend fifteen minutes (or even longer) at a light that doesn’t change because the sensors still detect a lot of traffic from one direction.
There are no maximums as to the length of the light cycle. It is decided by the traffic engineer in control.
Multiple sensors could indicate the length of a back up queue and the light cycles could be adjusted to maximize volumes during peak periods. No one is talking about 15 minute light cycles.
If you read some of the other posts, you will see some suggestions as to increasing the throughput of the intersections without changing the length of the light cycles whatsoever.