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R.A. Schaeffer of Englewood writes:

Red turn arrow lights, in 90% of the cases, are there to ‘nanny’ an intersection, to treat ALL of us like the worst driver on the road.
Until recently, I drove through the red turn arrow at the intersection of South University and Belleview every workday for years, and I can tell you, it is badly designed and/or implemented.
Northbound in the morning, a total of four or five cars were allowed through in a cycle, while a backlog of up to twenty or thirty cars would have to wait.
Sitting in the turn lane, staring at that red arrow, you would watch (and you have a several hundred yard view) as the knot of southbound traffic would clear the intersection, then there would sporadically be HUGE gaps that any number of cars could take advantage of...except for that red arrow.
Is it any wonder that frustrated drivers would squeeze through that brief green arrow?
Installing a ticketing camera without addressing the traffic flow issues will simply admit to everyone, “We’re not concerned with traffic flow, or safety, or pollution from idling engines; just in fleecing drivers for cash.”
If revenue isn’t the goal, FIX the light cycle, and use the camera money for better monitoring of traffic flow everywhere.

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

Sounds like someone just got a ticket.

didnt you know that police only want your money and all they do is generate revenue for the city ?

your concerns will not be addressed. I suggest findng an alternate way to work

Red arrows should at least turn off at night

Traffic lights are for idiots that have no depth perception, and cannot judge speed.

Hey R.A. -

Get yourself one of these, and make those pesky red lights a thing of the past.
http://www.themirt.com/

For the do it your selfer,

plans are available online with parts readily available at Radio Shack for less than $35 .

Modern technology at its best (or worst)

Dig It

Careless left turns kill a lot of motorists -- and hundreds of motorcyclists every year.

I am sure that all those people who cause fatal accidents thought that they were gresat drivers too and didn't need to be "nannied."

Just like you, they were wrong.

Imagine your family driving down the street approaching an intersection where an inexperienced, innattentive and distracted driver is waiting to turn left while talking on his cell phone. Would you prefer that he be waiting at a red arrow or an unmarked intersection?

Think about it.

Traffic Expert,
Inappropriately timed lights also kill people. Forcing a drive to sit through five light cycles makes people impatient (human nature), and as the letter-writer explains, increases chances that people will perform unsafe maneuvers to squeeze into the green cycle. The resulting backlog in traffic, where all of the traffic in the left turn lane overflows into oncoming traffic lanes, is a tremendous recipe for disaster, especially in bad whether.

Instead of blaming drivers as your "solution", help minimize the chances of human error by calling on CDOT to fix the light cycle or re-examine the signal structure of the intersection.

To Get Real:
Please don't encourage people to visit that site, whether you're joking or not. Those devices are intended for emergency vehicles only.... in the general public's hands they can be dangerous and cause fatalities.

Dan is right: "Instead of blaming drivers as your "solution", help minimize the chances of human error by calling on CDOT to fix the light cycle or re-examine the signal structure of the intersection."

We should indeed spend more time complaining to CDOT and perhaps less complaining to our neighbor.

But while I'm at it, neighbor, I am hoping that one day Denver will grow up and have street signs at all the intersections, and on the same corner, and in black and white so old codgers like me won't be spending so much time driving around the block.

And we need more attention to the idea of the Yield signs. No need to stop if no one is around. That same philosophy need to be applied, for example, to the No U Turn signs, and to some of the "This Way Only" signs which keep you from making a left turn when coming out of a driveway.

And another thing. Bigger and brighter bulbs in some of the traffic signals that seem to have night light bulbs in them. And one day, no more red and green so we color deficient people won't be running into you.

I could go on and on. But I'll wait till you get the above done to get into the real problems.

Truth while we usually disagree, love your post sir. Really do. Made my day. Thanks!!!

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