Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How To Get Traffic | More Time For Left Turns At Coral Springs Intersection

Q. Eastbound Atlantic Boulevard's left turn lanes to University Drive in Coral Springs seem to have a short turn signal. Cars consistently have to wait through two cycles of the signal to get through the inters ection. When was the last time traffic engineers looked at this?

Ryan Schultz, Coral Springs

A. The timing should be better now. Broward County traffic engineers adjusted the video detectors to address the problems you described.

"Most vehicles waiting are making their turn in the next cycle," said Ed Davis, head of the county's Traffic Engineering Division.

The intersection was re-timed in September 2010, and refined again in April 2011 when lights along all of Atlantic Boulevard were synchronized.

Q. How do we get a traffic signal at Flavor Pict and El Clair Ranch roads west of Boynton Beach ? There's a flashing light now and it's not adequate because of the accidents we've had there.

Abe Dobner, Boynton Beach

A. You can call the Palm Beach County Engineering Action Center at 561-684-4018 or send an email to ENG-ActionCenter@pbcgov.org . That's good for traffic signals everywhere in Palm Beach County except Boca Raton , Palm Beach and state roads.

Engineers will conduct a traffic study, provided one hasn't been done in the last nine months. They look at traffic volumes, accident statistics and development patterns.

Dan Weisberg, director of the county's traffic division, said engineers would wait to study the intersection in the winter because of the seasonal variation in traffic.

The county last checked the intersection in 2007 and found that traffic counts and accidents were still well below federal guidelines for a traffic signal and had only increased a little since a previous study.

In the most recent study, there were six accidents in a 12-month period ending March 31, 2007, and only four were correctable by installation of a traffic signal.

County engineers said at the time that four-way stop signs and a flashing light were the right way to control the intersection and that putting a full traffic signal there would not make it safer.

Q. I recently received a citation for a red-light camera violation at Pines Boulevard and Southwest 72nd Avenue in Pembroke Pines . I have asked different authorities but haven't gotten the same answer twice. Does the intersection have to have a sign saying "photo enforced" or something like that for the ticket to be valid?

Chris Robinson, Pembroke Pines

A. The law says the state, counties and municipalities must erect signs at each intersection with a camera informing drivers they could be caught on camera there for running a red light.

The signs also must alert motorists if right turns on red are enforced at the intersection.

And they must conform with Department of Transportation specifications for traffic signs.

mturnbell@tribune.com , 954-356-4155, 561-243-6550, Twitter @MikeTurnpike

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