A unique intersection west of downtown Edmonton intended to prevent conflict between cyclists and motorists is proving to be confusing to some drivers.
The City of Edmonton installed the lights at 102 Avenue and 125 Street in the High Street area on May 7, 2018, following the completion of a protected bike lane along 102 Avenue.
It is the only intersection in the city that uses separate traffic lights for the left and right lanes. For instance, if the right lane has a green light but the left lane has a red, only the right lane can proceed.
“People don’t obey the red light. They just blow through it,” said Carol Logan, who has had a candy store across the street for 16 years. She told Global News the lights are tying up traffic and questions their usefulness.
“Do we need it? I don’t know that we need it there,” Logan said. “I don’t know really how to improve it, but I know that the world isn’t listening to the lights.”
In an email to Global News, City of Edmonton spokesperson Derek Logan said it continues to receive feedback on the intersection. He said monitoring shows one in 10 vehicles in the left lane goes through on red lights — especially at peak times — but overall there are not significant safety concerns.
The city initially banned left turns at the intersection, but removed the restriction in favour of the current configuration following feedback from businesses and residents.
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