Traffic light timing in Seattle seems like it is all over the place. I can’t wrap my head around it. I wish I understood why or could get some sort of explanation behind it. Is there anybody out there in the internets who might be able to enlighten me? Hello? What are the chances you, oh wise one, might be reading my blog?
For years I could ride the 1.9 mile stretch on 5th avenue downtown from Bell to Union waiting at just one traffic light. Since last fall, I’ve had to wait at 2 lights. For about the past 2 weeks, I’ve had the wonderful luxury of the timing being set the old way and I’ve been able to blast through. It’s been wonderful! Today was pay back. Today I, and every other driver on 5th avenue, had to wait at every single light on this 1.9 miles stretch. This had nothing to do with traffic. Because the lights are timed and the lower pedestrian level, traffic backups don’t slow my or anyone’ progress until south of Pike. All 8 lights were just timed to stop us at every block. I waited an additional 14 minutes at these lights (yes, I timed each one). It delayed me so much that I didn’t have time to shower before work. Sorry, co-workers. Please send you letters of disgust regarding my body odor to The City.
I actually sent a letter to the city regarding the inconsistent light timing at 65th and Fremont. Months later I got a reply. They said they checked in out and couldn’t find anything wrong. Now the intersection flips back and forth between the “old way” and the “new random way” I am trained to expect anything. I still don’t understand why. There must be a reason the timing changes like this. Someone, a team even, planned this, decided this, and programmed this. I wish I just knew why.
http://www.geekwire.com/2016/seattle-traffic-nightmare-heres-citys-software-plan-reduce-gridlock-using-high-tech-traffic-lights/
The source of the above photo reports that a computerized technology was implemented this month that is intended to "intelligently" adjust traffic lighting in "real time". Traffic on 5th avenue appears to be worse overall this month. The increased slowing south of Pike makes sense to me; it's tourist season and there is a large construction project on Madison. If this fancy traffic thing is the culprit, I would expect the crazy lighting today to be in response to something significant and unusual happening adjacent to 5th avenue, but there is no big event today. No president, no protest, nothing that I know of.