Traffic controls in the tri-counties
 

TRAFFIC CONTROLS IN THE TRI-COUNTIES
Let’s begin with my admitting that I am an impatient son-of-a-gun and if things don’t go my way I have a hissy fit.

I have some terrible issues with the traffic controls in Tri-Counties. I have lived in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, California and Florida (Miami, Sarasota, St. Pete, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and now The Villages) and I have never experienced the traffic controls like the ones we face daily….if we’re out on the highways.
In most other locations, the traffic engineers time the traffic signals to have an orderly flow of traffic. The primary issue is, of course, is SAFETY. The flow of traffic traveling at the posted speed limit should be able to continue through the traffic signals without having to stop. But not here. If you drive on US 441/27 you are lucky if you can get through two traffic signals without stopping and I mean lucky. Most of the time, you will have to stop at every stinking light. We drove through Leesburg this morning and every….EVERY light caught us.

And, I have never experienced the left turn arrow as we have here. In most locations, other than the tri-counties, you may have a left turn arrow, which gives you total right of way against opposing traffic. When that turn arrow goes to caution (yellow) you know that your right of way against opposing traffic is about to cease and you need to prepare to stop. But, then after the caution light goes off, you have a green light….in most other locations; but you also have opposing traffic, so you have better wait until you have a break in traffic before your turn left. Here, in the tri-counties, the turn arrow goes to red and you sit and sit and sit, even though there may not be any traffic coming at you. And that’s compounded by some wonderful driver who will not pull out into the intersection so that they can turn left when the traffic has a gap or when the light turns red. AAAARRRRGGGG!!!

Another wonderful bit of timing frequently occurs and the intersection of Buenos Aries and Hwy 466. Those lights are so timed that there may be no traffic at all allowed through in any direction. Cars on 466 in both directions just sit. Traffic on Buenos Aires just sit. Ain’t nobody goin’ no where.

Now can somebody explain to this growly impatient pain in the #$$@ what is going on?

I realize that I can rationalize my feelings with the justification that all that idle time you are just sitting in your automobile is a terrible waste of gasoline, polluting the environment, but I admitted that I am impatient and I am, but my greatest area of impatience is stupidity. You can’t cure stupidity and the traffic controls around here are just stupid.

And….I might add….I love our seasonal neighbors, aka, Snow Birds. They are great people and make great friends and neighbors. It’s those other idiots that come down here and don’t know how to drive around The Villages that get on our nerves. The are arrogant, abusive, antagonistic, rude and just down right nasty and they give a bad name to our wonderful seasonal neighbors whom we love so dearly.

Incidentally, I do not moan and groan about “the developer” making money and increasing prices. They must make a profit. It’s their investment of time, money and resources and they damned sure should make a profit. Do you want to live in a community that was created and controlled by a bunch of idiots? If they didn’t make profits, they would go bankrupt and leave us high and dry to fend for ourselves. But the traffic around here stinks.:ohdear::ohdear::ohdear:

I am one of those wonderful drivers.

I don't pull out into the intersection until I am confident I can turn left without pausing.

I guess you have lots of company. I am somehow programmed by something in my past NOT to let this bother me, although I am usually not patient. When in a car, you do not allow stuff like this to make you mad. Came from a long line of non-honkers. It is practically a sin to honk at someone where I grew up.

Everyone is different. I am so sorry this upsets you.

I agree that sitting behind those who stay behind the white line when making a left turn is frustrating. The practice might even be considered obstructing traffic in some jurisdictions.

Your complaints are totally warranted. It is ridiculous that they can't time those lights. It's also ridiculous that they can't put right turn lanes at the majority of intersections. I can't count how much of my life has been wasted sitting at a red light behind a car that is going straight because they refuse to put in right turn lanes even where there is plenty of room to do so. Then when they do have a turn lane, you spend countless minutes waiting behind that ass clown who won't pull up enough to let you get in the turn lane.

Bet you get honked out quite a bit.

Wow. There is a lot in your post. And you make some decent points. But I must point out that your frustration is partially due to your expectations….

The part of your post I quoted above is basically impossible to achieve. The goal is too minimize overall delay, not give one direction unrestricted flow. With cross traffic (thus the traffic signals) and variations in traffic flow, there WILL be delays. Minimizing those delays is the goal of the traffic engineer.

FWIW, I spent my career as a Professional Transportation Engineer in the State of Florida. :)

I agree with the original post. Most major streets in cities I have lived in are timed to give traffic successive green lights for traffic going the speed limit. In my experience here in Florida you get successive red lights if you drive at the posted speed.

Drives my husband nuts!

kathy

In PA and NJ if you pull pass the white line and then turn left when the light turns green you have gone through a red light. I have the ticket to prove it. I discussed with my insurance carrier and they confirmed that is the law and the resulting accident was my fault. That happened in 2004 so can't speak to any change. I suspect that is the law in many States or there would be no need for the white line.

They are not talking about pulling out into the intersection when the light is RED. Pull out into the intersection when the light is GREEN. Then when there's a gap in the oncoming traffic or when the oncoming traffic stops, you can make your left hand turn, even if the light has now turned RED.

That's perfectly legal because you ENTERED the intersection when the light was GREEN.

Welcome to over crowded Florida, it’s only going to get worse.

You didn’t even mention the left turn lights that are on a timer and turn on even when there is nobody in the turn lane. Don’t these intersections have sensors to detect someone waiting for a left turn light?

I am a native Floridian and even back in the fifties, my Dad would say they want the tourist to stop and spend money.

Yep, this bugs me too...
And the gazillion STOP signs in TV that should be YIELD signs because hardly anybody stops for them anyway.
:ohdear::ohdear::ohdear: