voltron posted:

Hey Cichlidae, awesome thread. I have a traffic question about a stupid light timing issue that has bugged me so much that I’ve written several E-mails to the local VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) to no avail.

My relatively short 3 mile commute is littered with horribly timed red-lights that are impossible to make unless it’s very early in the morning (before 6am) or very late at night (after 1am). Any information or insight into the absolute idiocy that is the local VDOT light-timing would be awesome.



First, here’s a map of my commute. I used to just take Route 28 down to work but they are removing the lights on that road to turn it into a highway. It doesn’t matter, traffic would flow in herds on that road anyway as all the cars moved from red-light to red-light (as if we were missing behind the green by just 10 seconds or so). http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...7,0.077162&z=14

Starting from the red dot, now I drive down and hit the first light at Nokes Blvd. Even if I come to Nokes Blvd, stop at the red light first in line, continue to drive through at/or above the speed limit, 90% of the time, Dulles Crossing Plaza will be turning red, just as I arrive (not enough time to pass on yellow).

While waiting at Nokes Blvd, the Dulles Crossing Plaza (DCP) light is green although there is no traffic, the traffic out of the strip mall on either side is always waiting while no one passes on Atlantic Blvd. Just a few hundred feet down from DCP is Dulles Eastern Plaza (DEP) which is always green while waiting at a red light at DCP! As soon as the DCP turns green, the DEP turns red on the way. There is no way any car could beat the red; it’s well known in the area that anyone speeding to pass DEP after having waited at the DCP is new to the area. The locals are the ones just trotting over to the DEP light knowing it will turn red in a few short seconds.

Anyway, rinse/repeat this whole scenario between the DEP light and the light at Severn Rd. Anyone trying to beat the light will find themselves zooming towards a green light just to have it turn red before you have time to make it through.

So to ask my question, why are the lights timed such that it’s green ahead (with no traffic) while I’m at the previous light waiting at a red light. Why do the lights turn red if the previous light just turned green to move the traffic along? Why is VDOT moving traffic along Atlantic Blvd like herds of sheep? It’s loving driving me insane.