 |
From Local News
Brought to you by Oxford Lumber
Some downtown traffic lights will be removed
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Downtown Anniston will soon see fewer traffic lights in an effort to reduce travel times and save money. Anniston Public Works Director Bob Dean says his department did an assessment of traffic lights in the city and found the number of lights does not fit the needs of the city size.
"We used to have 50,000 people," Dean said. "Now we have half that population and we never reduced the [number of] traffic lights." According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Anniston's population peaked in the 1960s and has declined ever since. The estimated population of Anniston in 2011 was just under 23,000 people.
Working with the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, Dean said an analysis of traffic flow shows a need to eliminate more than half of the traffic lights to reduce travel times for drivers mainly heading east or west. "We have 105 lights in the city, so that means we need to get down to about 60 or 65 lights," Dean said.
He said many of the intersections will have traffic lights replaced with 2- or 4-way stop signs which will save money in several ways. "It saves us costs in energy, it'll save costs in maintenance, and probably have a savings close to $25,000 to $30,000 per year just by doing this."
In addition to removing some traffic lights, some intersections will see cycle times of current lights reduced. Dean said cycle times at some intersections on Noble Street have already been changed and his department is not aware of any public complaints about the changes.
Dean expects the first phase of reducing the number of traffic lights to be approved by the city council in the next two weeks. Once approved, nine lights will be removed downtown. He expects all of the changes to take between six and eight months for completion.
Here's More...
Dental Health is Important for Children's 'Baby Teeth'
Lamb Chops and Red Wine: A Perfect Easter Pairing
Alabama Department of Public Health issues 2016 Fish Consumption
Aquarium animals and plants should never be released in the wild
Keywords: Downtown Anniston Noble Street traffic lights Public Works Director Bob Dean
Visit Local News
Reader Comments
There currently are no approved comments for this blog article. To join the discussion click here.
Article Archive
From Our Blogs
Books Make Great Easter Gifts for Kids 
Shopping Local Can Benefit You and Your Community
Tips to Refresh Your Look
Survey Unmasks the Peculiar Behaviors of Pet Owners
Sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Our Website Sponsors
Sunny King Toyota
Allstate Insurance- Jerry McCullers
Sunny King Honda
Artificial Limb & Brace
The Party Center