01/23/09 Bend
In this ‘You Ask; We Answer,' Dan asks, "Why are the traffic lights on 27th Street on timers and sensors? It's so frustrating when all the lights will be green and then turn red for no apparent reason, no cars on the side streets to set off the sensors. Soon as you pull up to the light to stop, the light will turn green. It's hard on the cars to stop and go and it's a waste of gas."
The Oregon Department of Transportation controls the stoplight signals in Bend, including the ones on 27th. ODOT says it changed the lights to an automatic cycle during the December snowstorm. That was because visibility was terrible for the cameras which usually detect traffic and switch the lights accordingly. KOHD News has been told those traffic lights have been switched back to sensors.
"We rely on motorists out there to do a lot of things; to be our eyes and ears on the road. We are happy when someone has found something out there so we can get out there as soon as we can," says Peter Murphy with ODOT.
The lights at Greenwood/27th in Bend are controlled by a sensor so if no one is coming in cross traffic it should be green.
You can call ODOT at 388-6224 to report a problem.
Comments
27th Street and Neff
While reading this article I thought about all the near misses on this street. Two intersections on 27th should be restructured. Neff and 27th is a disaster waiting to happen. It has already had two fence plow ins due to the way 27th melds on the corner from a 2 lane to a one lane. People are turning right onto 27th from Neff and speeding cars coming from the south merge suddenly into everyone's lane. The other is at the other end at Bear Creek and 27th. People heading south speed right into the merged traffic there at the intersection. I don't know of accidents there but it is a miracle. I would reccommend moving the bus stop at Neff and 27th to either before or after the intersection and creating a Right turn only from 27th to Neff forcing people to get in the Left lane before they enter the intersection. Sort of like what they did on Greenwood and 8th by restructuring the lane change.