I probably can't make the meetings, but I have two suggestions for the main Davis traffic light:
1) Add transit priority. This would be easy for the busway -- just add a loop detector, and add pavement markings/signage to show drivers where to pull up when they're ready for a green. On the Holland St and College Ave approaches, it would require getting the T to add a transmitter to buses, so that could be a future project.
2) Get rid of the all-way walk light, and let people cross with the parallel green. Most people do this anyway. Pedestrians shouldn't have to face a don't walk light when it's perfectly safe to cross, especially where there's no cross traffic like at the Day Street crosswalk. It would also save a heck of a lot of red light time, which would reduce the typical huge backups that delay mass transit and cause cut-through traffic on small residential streets.
God, yes, this! At the very least, shorten the right turn light from Highland onto College to the same length as the straight through light and make Highland legal to cross when the red is on. I think that's got to be the least pedestrian-friendly light in Somerville, with only about 20 seconds of walk time (and only 5 seconds when it's legal to start walking) in the entire 4 minute cycle. *Everyone* jaywalks there. This would also allow crossing College when the light from that direction is red, which it isn't now because most of the time, the green right turn light prevents that.
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sarken
no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 03:54 pm (UTC)(Joel, can you edit this post to add some description before your link?)
no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 05:14 pm (UTC)1) Add transit priority. This would be easy for the busway -- just add a loop detector, and add pavement markings/signage to show drivers where to pull up when they're ready for a green. On the Holland St and College Ave approaches, it would require getting the T to add a transmitter to buses, so that could be a future project.
2) Get rid of the all-way walk light, and let people cross with the parallel green. Most people do this anyway. Pedestrians shouldn't have to face a don't walk light when it's perfectly safe to cross, especially where there's no cross traffic like at the Day Street crosswalk. It would also save a heck of a lot of red light time, which would reduce the typical huge backups that delay mass transit and cause cut-through traffic on small residential streets.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 06:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 06:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 06:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-20 10:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-22 12:14 am (UTC)After that, Tuesdays, July 17 and August 7, same time and location.