No surprises there really, but they are responsible for the moronic installation of a stoplight at Fullerton Pike and 37 (at the Monroe Hospital) that was unnecessary when it was installed (before the hospital) and ridiculously counter productive now that the hospital is there. The problem? When the lights were installed originally it never made sense. There were know plans for a hospital, the rumor was that it was going to be the home of the new Menards but in another travesty of local zoning management, Menards had to be moved because the zoning wasn't approved. That intersection was deemed dangerous because of accidents that occurred there. There were a few but in nearly all cases they were caused by idiot drivers in a hurry not by a lack of a traffic signals. The installation of the traffic signals never made sense because of two reasons:
- The didn't install turn arrows to allow for crossing traffic on green. Almost all the accidents that I saw or read about were caused by someone either trying to turn into highway traffic in a hurry or crossing on coming traffic. People in a hurry to get to work or school or home, simply can't wait for little obstacles like semi trucks doing 60 MPH on a four lane highway I guess.
- There was no need to cause highway traffic to stop yet again to allow for a minor access road to cross a major highway when you could see for over a half mile in both directions. Afterall that is why the over passes were installed at the crossings north of it (45/37 and 48/37) because in a 3 mile stretch on the only major north-south traffic route there were 4 or 5 stop lights along the way.
Now that the Hospital exists, I believe there is a necessity for a traffic signal. However not one without turn lights. I have seen more accidents at that intersection since the lights were installed than I ever witnessed prior to their installation. Now what you get is people travelling on the the higway looking turn accross on coming traffic to Fullerton Pike having to do exactly what the lights were installed to prevent, which is close your eyes and gun it to get across and hope on coming traffic can stop because there is no turn light insalled to allow safe turning. During peak hours like home rush hour, the North Bound turn lane on 37 is backed up 10 cars deep at times and only 1-2 cars have the ability to get turned during the long Green light so people are forcing their way across after the light turns yellow and sometimes red. A simple turn arrow would aalleviate a lot of accidents IMO.
Now on to the real reason for this post, which is another (previously unreported) idiotic stop light. This time I believe it falls under the jurisdiction of the City. Its at the corner of Thompson and Rogers (Across from the old RCA plant location). This light does have a turn signal attached to it, but the problem is it lasts all of 3 seconds. On a good day you can get 3 cars turned on a green arrow. Most times if the first car isn't rolling when it turns green you only get 1 through. Rush hour always bring huge lines at that light and most of it is turning south onto Rogers from westbound on Thompson (or what ever it is named between Walnut and Rogers. At 5:00pm on weekdays there is always 8+ cars trying to turn left at that light and dozens coming from the other direction going straight to Walnut. Makes for a ridiculously slow ride home when the line turning keeps growing and only 1-2 are turning during each light. If you added 3 more seconds to the turn arrow it would clear up half of the traffic congestion at that intersection during peak rush hour.
Rant over.
