Speaking of Road Issues

[duffless2323.livejournal.com]

This reminds me of a question I've been meaning to ask. Who do you talk to if you feel an intersection needs a light or sign change?  Is it the city, or the alderman, do I just call 311?  Anyone have experience with this?

The intersection in question might technically be Arlington - - has anyone else noticed an issue at that 4 way intersection between Broadway and Rt 16/Alewife Brook Parkway?

If you are going down Broadway from Somerville going towards Arlington and need to make a left onto 16 you get a green light and the traffic coming the opposite direction is stopped. 

However, since you have a green light if you haven't driven through there a bunch of times you don't know they are stopped on the other side until you wait a bit and they don't go.  I have seen people needing to go left stop at this green light expecting traffic from the opposite direction to go and this seems dangerous.  I feel like if the traffic coming from Somerville has the right of way there they should have a green arrow not a green light.

Thoughts?

Comments

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

The signage would help, but only to make sure traffic flows more efficiently there. So sometimes you're stuck behind someone who doesn't realize it's safe to go when their light turns green, even though the oncoming traffic isn't moving, and they wait one light cycle and figure it out.

What's not safe is people assuming the car in front of them waiting with a left turn signal is gong to move at any particular time. When I get there, I figure if I'm first in line at the light, I know it's a protected left because the other direction won't get a green while I have it, and I can go right away; otherwise, the safe thing to do is to wait until the traffic in front of you moves, even if they don't clue in right away. It's like seeing stopped cars (heading straight) in front of you when a light first changes to green as you're approaching an intersection. Even in Massachusetts, assuming they'll be gone and you don't need to slow down at all is a little risky....