Traffic Signals which Needlessly Slow Traffic/Cause Pollution:

An Updated List of Traffic Signals Which Regularly Stop Oncoming Traffic For No Apparent Reason


Last Update: 02/18/2024

This list is intended to provide a consolidated state-by-state reference to a series of traffic lights in various locations in the United States which seem to be configured to force traffic to unnecessarily stop (even late at night) irrespective of traffic patterns and/or volume.

While waiting at a red signal from time to time unavoidable, such as at intersections controlled by an old traffic light which runs solely on mechanical timing, the majority of the offending traffic signals seem to be newer "demand" lights, with sensors, radar, ultrasound, and/or road magnetic loop plates which can easily determine when traffic is approaching, and, if properly implemented, favor through traffic on major roads as compared to side road/crossing traffic, especially late at night.

And indeed, the majority of newer traffic signals can and do properly function in this manner, yet there are many newer signals, which are capable of doing so, but either (a) out of inattentiveness, (b) out of a desire to needlessly stop/slow traffic, even at night, or (c) out of a cash-strapped locality's/town's desire to earn incrementally more ticket revenue (either by wasting manned police time or using arguably constitutionally deficient photo enforcement (no notice as to the time/place of incident, making it impossible to recall or procure witnesses to mount a defense against the ticket)), carelessly or intentionally stop traffic when there is no traffic or safety-related need to do so.

In many cases, these newer, "smart" traffic lights are programmed to sense a car coming, and intentionally turn the signal aspect red for the oncoming motorist, forcing him to stop. Not only does this waste time, wear out brakes needlessly, and pollute more, but it erodes motorists' impression of local (or state) government and planning in that it indicates that they allow (or promulgate) such mindless traffic policy which doesn't benefit motorists, nor anyone else for that matter. In any other organization or entity, allowing such ridiculous and wasteful practices would result in a reprimand or firing of the person or persons reponsbile for such idiocy, but at local (or state) governments it seems par for the course, and there is no consequence for fostering such policies which are patently and obviously wasteful and foolish, which benefits no one, and which can serve to encourage light-running and other dangerous behavior because motorists and pedestrians know that the lights don't change for reasons of safety or traffic, thus the given light's relevance appears questionable, and over time, the light is ignored.

Much like a large pothole which a locality fails to repair (but which any government vehicle's operator, such as police, fire, highway maintenance, etc., should readily observe and hopefully be incentivized to report), which creates the impression of an out-of-touch local council who wouldn't notice that they were wet if they were drowning in the middle of a lake, allowing traffic lights to needlessly, carelessly, and in many cases, intentionally stop traffic creates a similar impression about the aloofness and lack of accountability of local government.

Thus, it seems likely, if not for anything other than how obviously a given locality's lights needlessly impede the free flow of traffic, and how they reasonably should be aware of the issue(s) and yet do nothing to remedy them, that the desire to slow motorists down/stop them for no rational reason and when no reasonable safety condition exists, stems from (at best) a nany-state, busy-body, paternalistic notion of how people should behave (drive slowly below what traffic engineers designed a given road for, which is dangerous for multiple reasons beyond the scope of this posting), or (at worst) as a revenue-generating opportunity to potentially dovetail in nicely with automated traffic enforcement (and oftentimes sped up yellow-light cycles to catch people on red).

And, as so often is the case these days, all this while at the same time these given towns and local governments also maintain the pretense of being "environmentally concerned", or go to lengths to penalize citizens for failures to properly recycle and/or impose "environmental compliance" fees and taxes, they are nevertheless either carelessly or intentionally causing countless cars, buses, and trucks to needlessly stop and start (and stop and start, and stop and start...), resulting in significantly more air pollution (not to mention vehicle wear and tear) due to their laziness, lack of zeal, and/or monetary (traffic violation fine) interests in properly maintaining traffic signals within their jurisdictions.

[ Interpage | Wirelessnotes Main | General | Your Tolls At Work Causing Traffic | Arguments Against Tolling Roads | Stop Tolling Interstates! | E-ZPass Toll Problems and Charges | Cellphone Carrier Comparison | Cell Phone Audio Delay/Latency | Disclaimer | Contacts ]


Tell your elected officials what you think!

Use LobbyByFax(sm) to instantly send a free fax from the web to your elected Congressional and State-wide representatives supporting telecommunications, Internet net-neutrality, transportation and other issues!

Some of the current LobbyByFax alerts include:

  • Stop Tolling Our Interstates! - Keep Connecticut Toll Free!: In late May or early June 2019, Connecticut will vote on taking free Interstates and highways and placing 50 or more toll gantries on them which will photograph and record all motorists on CT's highways, in an attempt to make up for past raiding of Connecticut's gas tax fund and to pay expenses due to poor fiscal policy and mis-management. Not only will this affect CT residents and motorists who must drive through CT, but the privacy-invading system, which will essentially track all motorists wherever they drive in Connecticut, is an intrusive and inefficient means to pay for roads - especially when the gas tax accomplishes the same with little administrative cost and zero privacy concerns. Send a free, pre-composed fax to Hartford to tell CT legislators to vote No on any new tolls, and to spend the money from the gas/transportation fund on just - and only - transportation!
  • Stop our Interstate Highways from being tolled!: Send a fax to Congress demanding that they do not allow tolls to be placed on free Interstates. We all pay a gas tax, we should not be taxed again with tolls! (As Pennsylvania is doing with I-80)
  • Stop Tolls on East River Bridges in NYC!: Help Stop Tolls on York's East aRiver Bridges and Keep Them Free! Stop Gov. Cuomo's / Richard Ravitch's Plan to Toll NYC's Bridges! Use the link to get to the LobbyByFax.Com system, and select New York State from the drop down menu box. All of New York's Albany delegation, the Governor, and the New York City Council are listed; send a free fax to them and let them know you oppose any tolls on the Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Manhattan, Queensboro, Third and Willis Ave, and Harlem River bridges. A sample letter (which is used on the LobbyByFax East River toll action alert) is located here. Be heard and help stop tolling of all East River and Harlem River crossings!
  • Stop Photo Radar in Maryland and the expanded use in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties of Photo Radar/Red Light Cameras, and other Automated Traffic Enforcement! Send a free fax to Governor Larry Hogan as well to the Annapolis Legislature telling them to vote against the expansion of photo radar and other automated traffic enforcement and monitoring in Maryland. Tell them that these systems violate due process, place an unfair burden upon the registrant of the vehicle, are subject to "cloning", allowing malicious copies of license plates to be used to incur culpability upon innocent registrants, and effectively set up a "pay to speed" system where those who can afford it can speed when desired. Go to the LobbyByFax Alerts Overview page and select the "Maryland Photo Radar" alert, or go directly to the Stop Maryland's Use of Speed Cameras alert for state lawmakers and Governor O'Malley. Note: Please be sure to select Maryland from the initial state-selection drop-down menu.
  • Stop the Recording Industry: The heavy-handed approach of the recording industry to block copying via digital rights management is a cheap attempt to have Congress and thus the American public pay for the failed policies of the Recording Industry. We should not tolerate, and Congress should not allow, the onerous restrictions which the Industry wishes to impose upon us, as the cost and loss of utility which such restrictions will create are incalculably greater than the minimal benefit in terms of higher profits which will be generated for the Industry.
  • Rebuild the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center: Although current plans to rebuild the World Trade Center provide for a moderately tall, 1,776 foot, "Freedom Tower", the skyline of NYC will never be restored without a rebuilding the Twin Towers of the WTC, and anything short of this goal will forever remain a tacit concession to those who destroyed them.
  • For a complete list of all current LobbyByFax alerts, please visit the Interpage LobbyByFax.com site and click the start button on the main page, or click here for a summary page.


    General:

    Traffic signals are generally utilized to regulate the flow of traffic, promote vehicular safety at congested intersections and serve as an organizational convenience to motorists. However, in many areas, we have observed a number of traff ic signals which impede the free flow traffic, serve as an inconvenience, and in effect may ultimately be less of a safety mechanism than if no traffic signal were in operation at that given location. Specifically, many signals, even those with magnetic loops or other mechanisms to detect and respond to traffic patterns and the flow of traffic will, especially during off-peak hours, by either happenstance or by design, force traffic to stop for no apparent reason, purely as a means to slow down traffic so as to enforce a given town's or jurisdiction's pecuniary interests or other self-serving motivations rather than fulfill the safety and efficacy roles for which traffic signals are intended.

    In many cases, even during late night hours, traffic signals with sensors appear to detect oncoming traffic and change from green to red specifically to stop passing motorists rather than changing from red to green to permit the smooth flow of traffic (or just flash yellow for the aspect of traffic on the main thoroughfare at night).

    Area residents tend to understand how these signals function and thus attempt to avoid stopping by, among other things, drastically accelerating while approaching an intersection, driving on the road "shoulder" until the last second before passing through an intersection (so as not to trigger the magenetic loops in the travel lanes or other detection devices which the traffic signal's instrumentality uses to sense approaching cars), executing various types of turns at high speeds, and other potentially dangerous measures, or just ingoring the light entirely.

    These measures could pose a risk to public safety, and would be unnecessary were the municipalities responsible for the administration of their roads and traffic more diligent and/or thoughtful in the programming and maintenance of traffic signal(s) under their jurisdiction.

    In addition, traffic signals which impede the free flow of traffic (especially at night, when a "flashing yellow" signal would suffice), result in motorists wasting gas by way of needless stops and accelations after said stops (eg, "stop and go traffic"), or by drivers opting to take longer, alternate, traffic light-free routes to reach their destinations, or by merely accelerating through an intersection to avoid a red light. These outcomes would result in a higher level of CO2 emissions as a result of theese and other avoidance maneuvers.

    Many of these cities and towns profess a deeply-held and fervently-felt set of environmental concerns. Yet when it comes to the actual mechanics of doing something about emissions and fuel waste, all of their environmental zeal suddenly evaporates!

    It seems obvious that traffic signals which which are either intentionally or carelessly set to stop mainline traffic does anything but help the environment, and thus serves to demonstrate the (typical) hypocrisy on the part of the municipalities responsible for the maintenance of these traffic signals - a lot of talk (and taxes and fees and rules and fines) about environmentalism, but when the given town or locality can readily and easily adjust their traffic signals to foster the free-flow of traffic and likely dramatically reduce pollution (especially during overnight hours), all of a sudden the towns become silent and they just sit on their collective hands and do nothing. It's always easier to talk up a given cause (and as an added "bonus" to fine people and make some incremental revenue, too!) than to actually do something which will have a significant remedial effect.

    Thus, cited below is a list (organized by state) of traffic signals which exhibit such symptoms and, in many cases, cause such potential risks to the public safety and health, in hopes that some towns will take notice and actually take corrective action (but we doubt it...).

    (What more likely will actually cause a given town or locality to do something is if there is some accident at one of the intersections listed here, and the timing/operation of the signal is investigated and found deficient, and then the town is sued, or the insurer of the town raises the town's rates or drops their coverage entirely. It seems the only way to get anything done these days is to bring up the risk of exposure to legal liability and/or a loss of money, and only then will the town or locality take any measurable notice...)


    Disclaimer/Note: The authors do not make any representations or warranty as to the accuracy of this information, although every effort is made to ensure that seemingly malfunctioning traffic signals for the given location(s) listed are correct as of the last update date. Opinions as to the severity, culpability, causality, origin, responsibility, relative danger or any other discussion as to a given traffic signal are purely speculative and based solely upon the observations of motorists who are affected by them - no specific engineering or technical knowledge is provided or expected in order to post on this list. Listed traffic lights and other notes are mere observations -- we try to be accurate, but we make no representations other than what we have observed (and if others notice we are wrong about a given drop, please mail us so we can test the drop and modify the list accordingly.)


    Connecticut

  • Fairfield County, Branchville/Georgetown: The traffic signal at the intersection of US-7 and Mountain Rd (to the west) and CT-57/CT-107/Redding Road (to the east), (near Calaruzzi's Georgetown Market and the Shell station on the corner) for some idiotic reason (just to stop traffic?) remains red for US-7 traffic, even late at night, and favors E/W traffic from CT-57/107 and Mountain Rd, even though there is significantly less traffic on CT-57/107/Mountain entering or crossing US-7. The police regularly hang out in the parking lot near the Shell, or at other positions near the intersection, so perhaps the forced stop on US-7 has something to do with that. In any case, an utterly senseless and needless stop along US-7, when there is obviously no need for it. Most recently observed: 03/15/2022.
  • Fairfield County, Brookfield: One of the silliest, brain-dead lights in the state is located on US-202/Federal Road just north of an un-named access road (White Turkey Rd. Extension?) where US-202 leaves Federal Road heading south and joins the US-7 freeway just north of the JCT with I-84. The light is just north of the light which controls the US-202/Federal intersection, controlling access to BJ's Price Club (on the west side of Federal/US-202) and Savers (on the east side); the access road has no name which is discernable, although it's listed on Goolge Maps as "White Turkey Road Extension"). In the middle of the night, traffic heading north appears to trigger the light to turn red to stop US-202 N/S traffic in favor of an access road to stores which are closed!. Are people actually paid to operate and maintain these lights?!. Basically, the light senses someone heading north, and turns red (for an inordinantly long period of time) for no reason at all. Most recently observed: 01/10/2022
  • Fairfield County, Danbury: A series of two traffic signals controlling Federal Road (old US-7 before the abortive US-7 North freeway was built) near Stew Leonards and Arbys, at Nabby road (to the north), and the immediate signal the south near Greentree Toyota (the road doesn't appear to have a name). As usual, in the middle of the night, Nabby Road's signal will turn red to North/South traffic on Federal Road, and the signal to the south will turn red a few seconds later. The signal aspect remains red for over 30 seconds, and then, to add insult to inury, northbound traffic on Federal Road (of which there is none at 2AM), is given a green turn arrow to Nabby Road west, holding southbound traffic on Federal (usually a lot of trucks) even longer. Basically, the signal operates as if it were in the middle of the day, and for no reason mindlessly signals for traffic which isn't there. All the other lights on that section of Federal Road flash yellow for the N/S traffic, so why can't Nabby do the same? Most recently observed: 06/05/2020
  • Fairfield County, Norwalk: The traffic light along "old" US-7/Main Ave, just north of where Main Ave passes user the Merritt, which controls (old US-7)/Main Ave, Glover Ave (to the west), and Creeping Hemlock Drive (to the east) appears to needlessly stop old US-7/Main Ave traffic *as they approach* the intersection, even when there is no one waiting to enter/cross US-7, and even in the middle of the night. Had US-7 been built as a freeway in the 1970s all the way to Danbury (and for that matter all the way to Burlington, VT, as was planned), this wouldn't be an issue. But, well, this *is* CT, so nothing ever gets done or built, and 50 years later, CoNNDOT is *slowly* working to complete a few legs of a single interchange, allowing Merritt traffic from the north to access the abortive US-7 freeway heading south to I-95. The entire interchange area looks like a slum and dump, and for such a wealthy county as Fairfield, it's a pathetic display of poor planning and interaction with the state. Had the locals in Wilton et. al. not fought against the US-7 freeway, it would have been built years ago and there would have been little need for such extensive work on the Merritt/old US-7 interchange, but no, their "build absolutely nothing near my expensive home" mentality prevailed, and now US-7 looks like a dump, and is being widened over and over (in a similar manner to the way US-206 in Princeton is being widened and widened after locals opposed the Somerset Freeway/I-95), because a few selfish and myoptic locals faught a freeway which was assiduously planned to generally run up in the hills and avoid them. In any case, the signal adds insult to inury, causing drivers to sit and look at the ugliness of Norwalk and consider the utter incompetence of ConnDOT and the state roadbuilding process. Most recently observed: 03/15/2022.
  • Fairfield County, Wilton: US-7 traffic is needlessly stopped by the traffic signal controlling the junction with CT-33, even at night, when there is no one waiting to enter ot exit from CT-33 onto the "Y-intersection" formed by CT-33's junction with US-7. (And if the locals in Wilton didn't object to the US-7 freeway up in the hills away from the town and local traffic, many of whom *still* oppose the project despite the ridiculous traffic and continuous work and widening on US-7, a lot of these signals and controlled intersections wouldn't be necessary and US-7/Danbury Rd. could have remained a small, quiet, road, instead of the main thorofare it is today due to the lack of any superior alternatives.) Most recently observed 03/15/2022.

    (NOTE: The signals/intersections listed below for the Berlin Turnpike/CT-15/US-5 between the end of the Hartford "freeway" section (that is, between I-91 and where the traffic lights start) all the way south to just before the CT-9 freeway have received new traffic lights as of late summer 2023, and many of the problems appear to have been corrected. These will be moved to the "corrected" section if they prove over time to no longer needlessly turn red for Berlin Turnpike through traffic.)

  • Hartford County, Berlin: At the intersection of The Berlin Turnpike/US-5 and Worthington Ridge (Secret CT-572)/Ronal Drive, the controlling traffic light pointlessly turns red for southbound Berlin Turnpike traffic, even in the middle of the night, and even when there is no one waiting to cross over the Turnpike from Worthington (to the west) or Ronal (to the east). Yet another pointless stop, wasting time, gas, and polluting for no reason since it seems impossible for ConnDOT to just flash yellow for the N/S Turnpike traffic and red for E/W crossing traffic (or at the very least, if a flashing yellow/red isn't safe there for some reason, to only stop Turnpike traffic when there is actually someone waiting to cross the road!). Most recently observed: 03/15/2022
  • Hartford County, Berlin: Similar to the above but south of the CT-9 interchange on the Berin Turnpilke/CT-15, the traffic signal controlling CT-15 and Middletown Rd. (which ends well west of Middletown and never gets near it!) also turns red for Berlin Tpke/CT-15 traffic for no reason, even in the middle of the night, even when there is no one on Middletown Rd waiting to cross CT-15 or enter it. First observed 03/15/2022, most recently observed 03/15/2022.
  • Hartford County, Berlin: The traffic signal along CT-15/Berlin Turnpike and Orchard Rd (to the west) and the Atlantis Mobile gas station (to the east) turns red for Berlin Turnpike traffic for no reason, even in the middle of the night, when there are no cars wating for access to the Atlantis Mobile or Orchard Rd. This has been a problem signal since at least 2009 or so, and even today has not been corrected! Most recently observed: 03/15/2022.
  • Hartford County, Berlin: A new one for 2019 -- the traffic light controlling the intersection of the Berlin Turnpike/CT-15/US-5 and CT-9 (and indirectly CT-372, which CT-9 supplemented when it was completed) seems to have suddenly started changing every 20 to 30 seconds or so, even in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason. (Or, even more perniciously, it may actually be triggered by taffic approaching it from the north or south on the Turnpike, and the signal is either mis-configured or intentionally set to stop traffic.) Thus, after apparently correcting much of the nonsense to the north in Newington (see below), and after traffic can move smoothly south through there, it is generally forced to stop (again, even in the middle of the night, with no traffic to/from CT-9/CT-372 via the poorly designed interchange) for no reason in Berlin. One would assume that someone from the town would perhaps notice this and have it corrected, but why bother actually make traffic move smoothly? First observed 01/16/2019, most recently observed 03/15/2022.
  • Hartford County, Newington: Yet another one of the more aggregious Newington traffic signals on the Berlin Turnpike (CT-15), at the JCT with CT-160/Denning Rd, in conjunction with the access road to The Home Depot just north on CT-160. Traffic traveling on the Turnpike, even late at night, is often stopped at the access road for The Home Depot, even when it is closed!, such as at 1 AM or so. The "Home Depot Signal" seems to either stop traffic on the Turnpike for no reason at all, or perhaps in conjunction with CT-160, just to the south, in order to again effectively "enforce" a slower speed limit than the road is signed for by the ConnDOT (which is located right nearby! - why haven't they noticed this?). Traffic traveling southwards (again, even late at night) is often stopped at the "Home Depot light", and then when it turns green, the light just to the south at CT-160 turns red to ensure that motorists have to make yet another unecessary and wasteful stop (this is just north of the JCT with the CT-9 freeway). It seems that many locals are aware of this, and race as fast as they can through the Home Depot intersection to the CT-160 one in order to avoid having to stop. As is often the case with (apparent) cases of nanny-statism, the unitended consequences of trying to force reasonable motorists to stop more often than is needed and generally behave in an unreasonable way results in significantly more unwanted behavior, such as speeding on that stretch of the CT-15 so they aren't frustrated by the silliness of Newington's traffic management (or more aptly, lack thereof!). As of January 2019, this too (along with the CT-173 signal, above), appears to have been remedied; if further tests show that the signal no longer stops Berlin Turnpike traffic needlessly, this entry will be moved to the corrected section. First observed: March 2007 / Most recently observed: 1/16/2017; appears to have been corrected 01/06/2019.
  • Hartford County, Newington: On the Berlin Turnpike (CT-15), at the JCT with CT-287 (Prospect St. to the east and E. Robbins to the west), there is a disjointed intersection (Prospect is a few hundred feet north of E. Robbins, just north of McDonalds and Citgo on the west side of the Turnpike), and even late at night, when there is no traffic waiting either way on CT-287, nor any turning traffic from the Berlin Turnpike to CT-287 in either direction, the lights controlling the intersection without reason stop traffic on the Berlin Turnpike and favor cars (not there are many!) on CT-287, needlessly slowing down traffic (and causing an uphill start/climb from a stop for northbound traffic) on the turnpike. The area is heavily policed, and motorists know to stop for the lights, so is the only reason they have the lights change for no reason is to try to get some extra revenue with red light tickets? The entire interchange should favor the Berlin Turnpike and only change to an aspect of green for CT-287 when there is an actual car waiting (as is typical on signalled divided highways like most signalled junctions US-1 in NJ). First observed: May 1992 / Most recently observed: 01/16/2017.
  • Hartford County, Newington: On the Berlin Turnpike (CT-15), one traffic light south of the now-corrected CT-173/Richard St (to the west) and Deming St (to the east) (where the Roy Rogers used to be and where there is currently an Arbys). The cross street doesn't seem have a name, but on the west side of the Turnpike it's just north of a Checkers Pizza and on the east side just north Plaza Azteca (Mexican Restaurant). This idiotic light appears for whatever inane reason set to favor traffic heading east/west, eg, across the Berlin Turpike, even in the middle of the night, when all the stores and restaurants are closed. Thus, motorists heading N/S on the Berlin Turpike late at night/early morning, where there is practically no cross traffic, are forced to needlessly stop for the light. In fact, for motorists heading south from the (corrected) CT-173 traffic light (which used to be programmed to stop N/S traffic intentionally - eg, it would sense traffic approaching and them stop it!), this light seems to have taken the corrected "CT-173"'s light's place, as if someone wanted to still force people to needlessly stop, but couldn't get away with it on CT-173, so they just moved the needless stop one intersection and maybe 1000 ft. south. Since there is never any cross traffic, many motorists late at night (deliveries, police, truckers, etc.) just run and ignore the light, which leads to an even more dangerous situation than just the pollution from needless stopping and starting which many of the other lights on this list cause. Last observed: 10/01/2022.
  • Hartford County, Newington: On the Berlin Turnpike (CT-15), at the intersection with Arrow Road (with the Cumberland Farms to the north and the 7-11 gas station to the south). Traffic heading south on the Wilbur Cross connector (connecting I-91 near Brainard Airport with CT-314) is usually and unecessarily stopped by the light controlling Arrow Rd. And, Arrow Road only intersects the Berlin Turnpike from the west, so at night, when there is very little traffic entering/exiting from Arrow Road, southbound (and northbound as well) traffic is forced to stop at a red light aspect for Berlin Turnpike traffic for no reason, when there is no one waiting at Arrow Rd. In fact, the Arrow Road signal seems to "consider" Berlin Turnpike traffic to be secondary - it normally presents a green aspect to non-existent Arrow Rd. traffic and red for N/S Berlin Turnpike traffic until a car has waited at the Arrow signal, when it briefly switches the green for Berlin Turnpike traffic, and then quickly switches is back to red, ensuring that almost anyone on the Turnpike, even late at night and early in the morning, has to needlessly stop. Last observed: 12/15/2022

  • Litchfield County, New Milford: US-7 at Sullivan Road. This light just seems to be timed to annoy southbound motorists, and/or give the New Milford Police an opportunity to write tickets for speeeding and/or running red lights. The signal is located adjacent the (northbound) Vallero gas station, and comes right after a slight hill eases off on the downhill side heading south, right before the right turn (heading south) for Sullivan Road. Apparently, either via radar/road magnetic loops which sense a southbound car at the top of the hill, or more likely just due to stupid/blind timing, the signal for no reason stops southbound traffic (only) by changing the northbound aspect for the left turn signal (to Sullivan) to green, and southbound traffic to red, stopping all southbound traffic. Why? Who knows! This idiotic light changes where there is no northbound traffic turning left onto Sullivan, nor anyone waiting on Sullivan to head north (turn left) onto US-7 (and usully at night, there's no one on either US-7 or Sullivan for miles - it's not a busy intersection then). But for some idiotic reason, the traffic light senses southbound traffic and forces a stop when there is no reason to, when there is no one else around for miles! Not only does this result in more pollution from all the stopping and starting all night, but it also gives the New Milford police an opportunity to stop people for running a stupid light (as noted in the introduction, lights like this give the motoring public more reason to run them and ignore them since it's obvious there is no reason for them to change), or for speeding, as locals know they need to speed up once they cross the radar or loop detectors in order to beat the needlessly changing light. This light should just flash "yellow" for US-7 N/S traffic and "red" for Sullivan Rd. traffic from 11PM to 6AM or something, since there is no one on either road then, and all the light does is aggravate southbound drivers. At the very least, keep the US-7 N/S aspect green both ways unless someone wants to turn from US-7 North to Sullivan, or wants to head north onto US-7 from Sullivan Rd. Last observed: 04/12/2023
  • Litchfield County, New Milford: The intersection of US-7 and US-202, just west of downtown New Milford (where US-7 heads north to Mass, VT, and then Canada where the freeway *should* have been built, and US-202 heads northeast as part of the arc around Hartford, Springfield, and Boston) is controlled by an odd signal, which, likely due to inconsistent programming and/or poor administration and oversight, sometimes randomly stops north/south US-7 traffic in the middle of the night when there is no one coming over the bridge from New Milford to enter onto US-7. (And as the Big-Y in New Milford seems to close earlier and earlier each year, there is certainly no traffic coming out of the parking lot from west of the US-7/US-202 intersection late at night.) US-7 from Brookfield to New Milford is *generally* well-administered in terms of late-night traffic lights (most flash yellow for US-202 traffic since there is little need to stop people then), but there are a few exceptions (see the Sullivan Rd./US-7 example, above), and the US-7/US-202 signal at the New Milford bridge appears, at times, to be among those which need work. Most recently observed: 03/15/2022.

  • Middlesex County, Haddam: At the intersection of CT-17, a main north-south road between I-91 and CT-9, and CT-68, which heads west to I-91 and Wallingford, the traffic light which controls the intersection, even late at night, changes to favor non-existent traffic from CT-68 (which ends at JCT CT-17, and traffic must head north or south on CT-17) and stopping traffic on CT-17 for no reason. This may be because it is just an old signal and doesn't have any sensors in the road (as many in Connecticut are), but at the very least the town of Haddam (or ConnDOT id they run the signal) should have the signal flash yellow for CT-17 traffic and flash red for eastbound traffic coming to the end of CT-68. There is just no reason for the majority of traffic, which is along CT-17, to stop in the middle of town all night long because of this poorly implemented and operated signal. Most recently observed: 05/26/2019.
  • Middlesex County, Middletown: At the intersection of CT-17 and Wesleyan Hills Road (south of Middletown, and 1/2 a mile south of JCT CT-17 and CT-155), the traffic light controlling the intersection regularly changes aspects to favor Wesleyan Hills Road traffic instead of CT-17, even late at night. Wesleyan Hills Road ends at CT-17, and traffic can only head west on Wesleyan Hills Road from CT-17. There is thus no cross traffic, and the traffic signal essentially serves left turning traffic from CT-17 north to Wesleyan Hills west, and from Wesleyan Hills east to CT-17 north. In the middle of the night there is practically no one coming or going to or from Wesleyan Hills, yet the CT-17 signal either senses traffic on CT-17 and intentionally stops CT-17 traffic, or just is timed to change for no reason (and thus could and should be set to flash yellow/CT-17 red/Wesleyan Hills) during overnight hours. Instead, the signal needlessly stops CT-17 traffic, causing more pollution in the area (near Sliders Grill & Bar, Haveli India Restaurant, and Passport Inns and Suites - how would you like to dine and/or sleep there and hear and smell cars and trucks needlessly stopping all night long?), as well as indentivizing people to run the light since everyone knows it changes for no reason. Most recently observed: 04/30/2023.
  • Middlesex County, Middletown: At the intersection of CT-17 (South Main St. in Middletown) and CT-155/Randolph Rd., the traffic signal controlling the intersection needlessly stops N/S CT-17 traffic when there is no one waiting on CT-155 to enter or cross CT-17. This even happens late at night when there is barely any traffic on CT-155, and a flashing signal (with the yellow aspect for CT-17 and the red aspect for CT-155) would suffice. Most recently observed: 03/15/2022.

  • New Haven County, Bethany: At the intersection of CT-69 and CT-42, the traffic signal controlling the intersection of the two roads favors CT-42, even in the middle of the night, when the vast majority of the traffic heads north/south on CT-69 and there is very little traffic on CT-42 heading east or west. Most recently observed: 04/30/2022.
  • New Haven County, Naugatuck: At the intersection of CT-68 and Maple Hill Road, the traffic signal which controls the intersection changes to stop through (E/W) traffic on CT-68 even when there is no one waiting the cross or enter onto CT-68 from Maple Hill, needlessly stopping on an uphill (the signal is located in a small valley) and forcing cars to expend a lot of gas to get up the hill after the light turns green. Most recently observed: 12/16/2019.
  • Delaware

  • New Castle County, Newark: At the traffic signal located at the JCT of DE-896 and Chestnut Hill Rd, the light will change to green in the middle of the night for an extended period of time for the opposing traffic, which is a relatively small road which crosses DE-896. However, the change occurs even when there is no cross traffic. Most recent instance occurred on 02/15/2011. This is ironic as the city of Newark operates an extensive "green energy" program and yet one of their traffic signals exhibits egregious flaws which could lead to unnecessary air pollution.
  • Maryland
  • Baltimore County, White Marsh/Nottingham: At the junction of MD-43/White Marsh Blvd. and Honeygo Rd. (just west of the newly rebuilt I-95 interchange), the traffic signal controlling the intersectio, even after the reconstruction of the I-95 interchange, still needlessly stops E/W traffic along MD-43 when there is no one waiting on Honeygo Rd. to either cross N/S or enter onto MD-43. Even in the middle of the night, the light needless stops MD-43 traffic. (All this wouldn't be an issue if the full MD-43 freeway had been built and there were full interchanges with US-1, Honeygo, and the rest of the roads around White Marsh Mall.) Traffic heading east or west along MD-43 is more often than not neddlessly stopped at Honeygo, which often motivates drives to speed through the area in hopes of "making" the foolishly and possibly negligently timed light. Most recent instance occurred on: 02/10/2022.

  • Montgomery County, Potomac: Along Falls Road/MD-189, at the intersection with Kerdsey Road (west of MD-189 it's called West Kerdsey Rd), a minor road with traffic mainly to/from housing developments south of I-270, the traffic light which controls intersection turns red for Falls Rd. for no reason, when there is no traffic waiting on Kerdsey Rd./West Kerdsey Rd. Most recent instance occurred on: 05/23/2021.
  • Montgomery County, Potomac: Along Falls Rd/MD-189, halfway between I-270 and River Road/MD-190 in downtown Potomac, Falls Rd intersects with Bells Mill Road, the light for which favors Bells Mill, even in the middle of the night, when there is no traffic on Bells Mill crossing Falls Road. Traffic on Falls Road is thus needlessly forced to stop when there is no reason for it to do so (and in fact the signal appears to sense traffic on Falls Rd and turn the signal aspect red for Falls Rd to intentionally force a stop for Falls Rd. traffic). So the next time the town of Potomac finds some new chore for residents to do for them, or a new few or tax or encumberment levied under the guise of some environmental benefit, why not ask the town (or the county) why they have so many lights, including Bells Mill, set to needlessly stop traffic and pollute even more... Most recent instance occurred on: 03/05/2022.
  • Montgomery County, Rockville: The traffic light controlling the Rockville Pike/MD-355 and Martinelli Road needlessly stops through MD-355 traffic, even when no one is waiting on Martinelli to enter or cross MD-355. Martinelli is a small street at the White Flint Metro (Red Line) station, between the more important intersections of Nicholson and Georgerown Pike, and at night, especially after Metro stops running, has effectively no traffic. Yet unlike Nicholson and Georgetown, which plac green signal aspects on MD-355 and only stop traffic on 355 when there is cross/entering traffic from Nicholson or Georgetown, Martinelli just sits there, with a red aspect at all times for MD-355, until someone in MD-355 is forced to needlessly stop there, at which point the light eventually and briefly changes to allow MD-355 traffic through. At night, while most signals along MD-355 flash yellow for MD-355 traffic (often at significantly more heavily trafficked intersections than Martinelli), for some reason Martinelli still foces people to stop and wait, needlessly polluting the air and making noise for people who live in all the new apartment buildings lining the Rockville Pike. Most recent instance occurred on: 12/10/2020.
  • Montgomery County, Rockville/North Bethesda: The traffic signal controlling Montrose Road (which was part of the "Rockville Facility" and would have been a (free) outer beltway instead of the much delayed, and then idioticly tolled ICC/MD-200) and Tower Oaks Blvd (just north of the I-270/Montrose interchange) regularly turns red to Montrose traffic, even when no cars are waiting to enter Montrose from Tower Oaks. Since Tower Oaks Rd. ends at Montrose, during non-rush hours, the signal effectively is only relevant for traffic traveling from Tower Oaks which wishes to make a left and head north onto Montrose, as right-turning traffic onto I-270's ramps have dedicated lanes and/or can make a right on red onto Montrose Rd. southbound. Although this signal and those at many other intersections along Montrose (and many other Montgomery County roads) flash yellow/red from 12:30AM to 5:30AM since there is no need for them to function during the overnight hours, before 12:30AM there is light traffic coming from Tower Oaks, which mainly serves a series of corporate office parks with little traffic after 7PM, yet the signal regularly stops traffic along Montrose for no reason when there is no one waiting to enter onto Montrose. This needlessly stops traffic on Montrose, and results in people trying to race the Tower Oaks light so they don't have to needlessly stop and effectively wait for no one at the Tower Oaks intersection. Most recent instance occurred 03/01/2021.
  • Montgomery County, Rockville/North Bethesda: The traffic signal controlling the Rockville Pike/MD-355 and Rollins Rd (just west of the Micro Center and Trader Joes shopping plaza) turns red for Rockville Pike traffic late at night, when no one is waiting to enter or cross the Rockville Pike from Rollins. This needlessly slows down traffic on the Rockville Pike, causing cars and buses to stop and start for no reason, thus increasing the level of pollution along this main thoroughfare. For the City of Rockville, as well as Montomgery County, which go on and on about their environmental stewardship, it seems that when it comes to actually doing some actual *work* to ensure that traffic doesn't needlessly pollute (like checking to see if lights are working well - such a hard job when they have likely hundreds of City and County employees driving there all the time), then all of a sudden their environmental fervor is substantially subdued! Just typical local government saying one thing and doing quite the opposite... Most recent instance occurred: 08/04/2021.
  • New Jersey
    Note: The seemingly endless series of poorly-timed (or deliberately so?) traffic lights which, for no apparent reason, stop motorists on US-202 in the Flemington area, are arranged in order, driving from east to west along US-202, within Hunterdon County. Other similar poorly/intentionally timed lights outside of the Flemington area/Hunterdon County appear in their respective county's lists in alphabetical order (as compared to the E/W orientation immediately below for the Flemington area lights).

    [Begin Hunterdon/Flemington East-West US-202 list orientation]

  • Hunterdon County, Flemington: At the JCT of US-202 and Whiton Rd, the light at that intersection forces traffic to stop even when there is no cross traffic waiting to enter/cross US-202 from Whiton. This becomes even more ridiculously obvious late at night, when the Whiton Rd. light forces US-202 traffic to stop, when it should just have a flashing yellow light aspect for US-202, and a flashing red aspect for Whiton Road traffic. Instead, people just speed up to beat the light, or just run it (when red) along US-202, since locals know that there is no one entering/crossing from Whiton late at night. Most recent instance occurred on 07/20/2023.
  • Hunterdon County, Flemington: At the JCT of US-202 and Summer Rd (the next light south of Whiton), the traffic forces traffic to stop even when there is no cross traffic waiting to enter/cross US-202 from Summer, and thus no reason to stop through traffic along US-202. This becomes even more ridiculously obvious late at night, when the Summer Rd. light forces US-202 traffic to stop, when it should just have a flashing yellow light aspect for US-202, and a flashing red aspect for Summer Road traffic. Instead, people just speed up to beat the light, or just run it (when red) along US-202, since locals know that there is no one entering/crossing from Whiton late at night. Most recent instance occurred on 07/20/2023.
  • Hunterdon County, Readington Township, Three Bridges (unincorporated): The traffic signal at US-202 and River Rd. (and NOT Ave., which is further north) / Dory Dills Road (named so on the south side of US-202) is yet another of the many on US-202 which appear to be timed to stop people, even in the middle of the night with no cross traffic for miles, and certainly no one waiting at the light. The River Road intersection light also seems to be integrated to work in conjunction with the Case Blvd intersection light about half a mile to the south along US-202, leading motorists to speed up to make the River Road light, so as not to be trapped by the Case Blvd road light, thus having to make two unecessary stops. (And of course the police sit there often to generate some extra revenue.) Wouldn't it just be easier to operate the lights properly, that is, only stop traffic on US-202 if and when there is cross traffic on River or Case? It's of course purely a secondary motivation that these lights drive ticket revenue... Who would ever suggest that a local, cash-strapped town would adjust traffic lights to frustrate motorists to running a light just to enhance ticket revenue? Last observed: 07/26/2020.
  • Hunterdon County, Flemington: A traffic signal located at the JCT of Case Rd. and US-202 (just east of Flemington) changes to a stop signal for no apparent reason when driving south. The signal opens a left turn lane even if nobody is at that signal. Most recent instance occurred on 02/12/2022.
  • Hunterdon County, Flemington: At the JCT of US-202 and Church Rd, the traffic signal only changes to a green light for eastbound traffic in the eastbound left turn lane, which forces westbound traffic on US-202 to wait. This occurs even when no one is attempting to make an eastbound left turn. Most recent instance occurred on 08/15/2010.
  • Hunterdon County, Flemington: Another of US-202's idiotic signals which needlessly turn red to stop US-202 traffic in the middle of the night: The signal at Hampton Corner Road, about a mile south of the now-corrected (we hope!) signal near the car dealerships, also turns red to stop traffic along US-202 even when there is no one waiting on Hampton Corner Rd. to cross! Is there something mentally wrong with the people who run Flemington's DOT (or is it the State of NJ's DOT?) who seem to have this moronic need to justify their jobs in some inane and irrational way by signalizing US-202 so as to stop everyone possible and impede the free flow of traffic? Who gave these people jobs in the first place? First oberved: 04/21/2019 / Most recently observed: 07/16/2022.
  • Hunterdon Coumty, Flemington: The traffic signal controlling the intersection of US-202 and Everitts Road, about 2 miles west of the Flemington Circle, is yet another signal on this tedious road which needlessly stops traffic in the middle of the night for no reason. Motorists on US-202 will be forced to stop even though there is no one waiting in ANY direction to cross or turn. It seems as if the signal just changes for the sole purpose of stopping cars (often resulting in the realization by motorists that the lights change for no reason, and thus they often will just run them, as well as causing more pollution from those who do stop; strange behavior for "safety conscious" and "environmentally friendly" Flemington...). Most recent instance occurred on 09/09/2019.
  • Hunterdon County, Flemington/(Ringoes): Another traffic signal which changes from green to red for absolutely no reason - in the middle of the night no less - along US-202 west of the Flemington Circle, at the intersection with Old York Rd/CTY-514/NJ-179, with the ex-Hess (now Speedway) gas station in the southeast corner. Most recent instance occurred on 04/23/2020.
  • Hunterdon County, (East Amwell Township), Ringoes: US-202 at Werstville Rd. The signal controlling Wertsville Road appears to be triggered to intentionally turn red and needlessly stopping southbound US-202 traffic at Wertsbville Rd. As traffic proceeds downhill from the (above) NJ-179/Old York Rd. signal, it appears that the Wertsville signal is set to detect the traffic and turn the US-202 aspect to red! (Even late at night when there is no crossing traffic on Wertsville.) Not only is this foolish and wasteful, but it incentivizes motorists to drive on the shoulder (so as to avoid a magentic loop in the road which detects US-202 southbound traffic to turn the light red), and/or make a right from US-202, a U-Turn on Wertsville, and then a right on red back to US-202. Is this really what state/local government should be doing? Making it necessary to stop endlessly at foolish signals in the middle of the night? It's obvious that the signal is intentionally (or carelessly) set to stop traffic on US-202 south, and although it's only one signal, when added with all the other idiocy around Flemington on US-202, motorists (taxpayers) get fed up and find all sorts of unsafe ways to avoid these unecessary lights. (And of course had I-95/the Somersett Freeway been completed from I-287 to I-295 a lot of this traffic would have been diverted, but of course it's impossible to build anything anymore. It also doesn't help having new tolls on the previously free Scudder's Falls Bridge so that cars use US-202 to NJ-31 to the Washington Crossing Bridge (free) and then connect back to I-295 in Penn.) Last observed: 04/23/2020.

    [End Hunterdon/Flemington East-West US-202 list orientation]

  • Hunterdon County, (East Amwell Township), Ringoes: Along NJ-31, at the intersection of Linvale Road at Mile Marker 13, the traffic light turns red along NJ-31 for no reason, even if there is no one present on Linvale. Although a relatively small road, NJ-31 sees a lot of traffic - especially truck traffic - since the State of NJ couldn't bring itself to build I-95 in the 1980s, so local residents and trucks making deliveries need to rely on NJ-31 due to the typical and usual shortsightedness of NJDOT and the build-nothing-anywhere-near-me nuts between Princeton and Pennington who fought to kill off I-95. So, is all the truck traffic on NJ-31 preferable? Do all of you in Princeton enjoy the traffic and constand widening of US-206? Do the homeowners of expensive property along Cherry Valley Road enjoy all the traffic from US-206 crossing over to I-295? Well, MAYBE if you all didn't fight off I-95 30 years ago this all wouldn't be a problem, hmm, maybe??. And just wait until the duplicitious Delware Valley Joint Bridge Commission finishes the work it started a long time ago of conspiring to toll the I-295 (ex-I-95) Scudders Falls Bridge and all the toll-avoidance traffic which results! (You can just imagine the Commissioners there salivating while watching the toll gantries going up on the previously free bridge about all the new money they'll be getting soon - note how the gantries are up even before the second bridge is finished so they can start stealing money from what was a free crossing from the first instance the bridge opens - hopefully the weight of the toll gantry will make the whole thing collapse and fall into the river and we'll be done with it!). The bridge was free since it opened, but it was not well maintained (one wonders why) and now a new one needs to be built to accommodate southbound traffic (which just somehow coincides with how all the other bridges work, and will of course be tolled), and only THEN can they "rebuild" the northbound (old) bridge. Hmmm...why not just fix the bridge which exists and skip the tolls? Considering the element of local/state government which sets lights, either carelessly or intentionally, to needleslly stop traffic, it should come as no surprise that un-elected bodies like the Joint Bridge Commission actually have the audacity to convince that tolling a once free crossing serves anyone else's benefit other than their own. In any event, the light at Linvale Rd. along NJ-31, which as soon as the Scudders Falls tolls start will likely be the least of the area's traffic problems, was first observed on 08/12/2014, and the most recently observed uneeded change to red in the middle of the night stopping NJ-31 traffic for no reason and allowing the stopped trucks to pollute even more while idling and then starting up again was on 04/21/2019.

  • Mercer County, Hamilton: The light at the JCT of Windsor Rd. and US-1 (which is slightly north of I-195) will change for no reason. Most recent instance occurred on 07/11/2010. This would seem to contradict the goals and aims of Hamilton's green office.
  • Mercer County, Pennington: The traffic light along NJ-31 at the JCT with W. Delware Ave/CTY-624 (near Pennington Market) appears to be triggered by radar sensors, and as cars approach from the north turn the N/S aspect of the signal red (late at night, when there is no need to change the signal) merely to stop N/S trafic for no reason. First observed: June, 2012 / Most recently observed: 1/2/2017.
  • Mercer County, Pennington: NJ-31 at the JCT with Pennington-Hopewell Rd/CTY-654, at the 45-degree intersection near the Quick-Check (lacking a 24-hour has station). Another one of the lights on NY-31 which are either horribly mis-sequenced or intentionally set to unnecessarily stop traffic for no apparent reason. Late at night, with no cars for miles heading southwards on CTY-654 (the only real reason the light should ever need to change), motorists driving northwards or southwards on NJ-31 are stopped by a red light. Is there any traffic/engineering reason for this? Or is it just to make NJ-31 an unattractive route for trucks and other motorists to use since I-95 has never been completed in NJ and people are fed up woith high tolls on the de-facto I-95 and/or the lack of adequate highway facilities in corridors west of the NJTP? First observed in March, 2011 / Most recently observed: 07/15/2018 - as of Dec 2018 may have been remedied - needs further testing.
  • Mercer County, Princeton: A perennial favorite (and annoyance) are two lights along US-1 north of Princeton, at Promenade and Ridge Roads (see the next listing, below). Heading south, Promenade changes to red, on a downhill (requiring more wear and tear on breaks to stop), even when there is no traffic waiting at the cross street (a mall to the east and some sort of corporate park to the west - not likely to be too busy at night!). The light seems to either be sequenced to the light just to the north, so that when it turns green, cars which drive at the speed limit will be stopped as they approach Promenade, effectively 'enforcing' a 30 mph 'limit' (even though the six-lane road is signed at 55 mph). Promenade basically changes red to needlessly stop motorists, even in the middle on the night, when there is no cross traffic, and seems either timed to the signal immediately to the north, or just senses approaching traffic from the north, and turns red to stop vehicles for no reason. Last observed: 03/24/2019.
  • Mercer County, Princeton: After Promenade Road (above), a lesser annoyance on US-1 is Ridge Road, which often (but not always) turns red when there is no crossing traffic present (and far too often for it to be a "forced change" to allow for cars which did not trigger the demand sensors to cross, ie, a cycle every 4 minutes or so to clear out vehicles which did not automatically trigger the light). As with Promenade (above), Ridge road rests in a downhill on both the north and southbound sides, causing even more wear and tear on breaks than if it were at a level section of US-1. The failure of the Ridge Road light to promote free-flowing traffic whenever possible (especially at night) also leads to both excessive noise and atmospheric pollution, as trucks will 'air-brake' on the downhill, and then throttle up when the light turns green to get up the hill(s) surrounding the light, during which time, much more pollution is clearly evident eminating from the trucks than if they were allowed to pass through the intersection had it (if it operated properly) remained green. Last observed: 12/18/2016.
  • Mercer County, Princeton: Another light is in NJ on US-1 at the JCT of Wynwood, just north of Princeton and south of New Brunswick, which is just north of a Residence Inn. In the middle of the night, the light will change for no reason when people drive up. Add this to the list. Last occurred on 01/19/2010. However, the town of Princeton operates a Reduce/Reuse/Recycle environmental program. Are they unconcerned with air pollution caused by exhaust fumes from motorists slowed down and inconvenienced by malfunctioning traffic lights?
  • Mercer County, Princeton: A traffic signal located at the JCT of US-206 and Airpark Rd. changes color for no reason. Most recent instance occurred on 03/04/2013.
  • Mercer County, Robbinsville: A traffic signal located at the intersection of US-130 and NJ-32 East, which is approximately three or four miles north of Gordon Rd (an often mis-timed signal as well), seems to turn to red as someone approaches from the south. Most recent instance occurred on 07/04/2011. This would seem contrary to the spirit of Robbinsville's several environmental and "green" projects.
  • Mercer County, East Windsor/Hightstown: The traffic signal on US-130 at the JCT with CTY-571/Stockton Rd. often turns red for no reason, even in the middle of the night, with no cross traffic waiting to enter or cross US-130. This means that trucks (common at night to avoid the high tolls of the NJ Turnpike, also because I-95 was never built as a toll-free road, and is still being completed in 2019 via a cumbersome - and highly tolled - link via the PA Turnpike extension) have to stop and then slowly start again, causing pollution for local residents who live in the area, and in general just making it more difficult for anyone to get around. The traffic light also turns red for northbound traffic when the southbound left lane has a green left-turn signal, even when there is no one heading southbound turning left!. Last observed: 06/04/2019.
  • Mercer County, Trenton: On NJ-31 approximately 4.5 miles north of the JCT of NJ-31 and I-95, NJ-31 intersects with Meadowbrook Farm Rd. There seems to be a sensor just up the road when you come from the north that when you hit the sensor, it turns the light red. It should go on the list as well. Most recent instance occurred on 02/16/2010. As with many other cities and town in the state of New Jersey, Trenton has undertaken a substantial environmental initiative and this traffic signal would seem a blatant violation of the town's professed environmental conscience.

  • Middlesex County, Cranbury: The traffic signal located at the JCT of US-130 and CTY-535 changes color for no apparent reason. While proceeding from the northern most part of CTY-535 heading west, the road merges with US-130, which is governed by a traffic light. The signal at that location will change color for absolutely no reason. Most recently observed on 04/08/2012.
  • Middlesex County, Dayton: A traffic signal changes color for no reason on US-130 at Fresh Ponds Rd., just north of Dayton Toyota. First noticed on 09/23/2012. Given that the town seems so preoccupied with "green dogs", it is surprising that they do not seem as concerned about air quality from automobile exhaust fumes. As of late 2017 and 2018, the signal seems to sometimes change for no reason, and at other times functions properly (again, even in the middle of the night, it changes for no reason when there is no traffic waiting to cross US-130, and not in any discernable pattern, such as every 5 minutes in case a waiting car has not been detected). Most recently observed 07/14/2019.
  • Middlesex County, Edison: One of the worst, (intentionally?) poorly-timed traffic lights along US-1 in all of New Jersey, at the JCT with Plainfield Ave/CTY-529; traffic on Plainfield Ave is favored over that of the much more heavily trafficked US-1, even in the middle of the night. Thus, cars driving on US-1 are forced to stop most of the time until the light turns green for them, even though about 95% of the traffic is on US-1 and there is very little traffic at night crossing on Plainfield/529. Is there some mental illness going on with the people who do traffic planning and maintenance along this stretch of US-1, or does someone just like stopping cars and polluting needlessly and does idiotic traffic signal aspects and timings like this on purpose? (There used to be another one just like this on Dey Road in South Brunswick along US-130, but as of Feb 2019 it seems to have been corrected - again). This idiotic, poorly-functioning light was last observed doing all it can to obstruct US-1 traffic in Edison on 03/24/2019.
  • Middlesex County, Edison: US-1 at the JCT/intersection of Forest Haven Blvd, immediately south of some freight rail tracks which served the Chrysler(?) car plant which was on the west side of US-1. Another utterly idiotic light on US between I-287 and NJ-18, this light controls onlya U-Turn and access to a shopping area which used to house a Comp USA and still has a Chuck-E-Cheeses. In the middle of the night, when no one is making a U-turn or needs access to a closed mall, the light on US-1 needlessly stops traffic (turns red), and may be somehow sequenced with the light just to the south for Old Post Rd. Regardless, the light stops motorists in the middle of the night for no reason, resulting in more pollution (especially from all the trucks which use US-1 in the area) and wear-and-tear on US-1. This is easily a light which should only operate as a "demand light" (only allows cross traffic when there is a car waiting to cross US-1, otherwise US-1 is not stopped), yet the NJ-DOT (or local?) maintains this light to foolishly stop traffic 24-hours a day when there is obviously no need for it, needlessly frustrating motorists and encouraging them to run the light since anyone who drives there knows that the light stops traffic for no reason and has since the auto plant closed. Most recently observed: 03/24/2019.
  • Middlesex County, Highland Park: US-1 at the intersection of Woodbridge Rd./CTY-514 (near the old PathMark supermarket), the traffic light aspect will change to stop US-1 traffic, even in the middle of the night, and even when there is no traffic heading either east or west on Woodbridge Rd., thus needlessly stopping and impeding the flow of traffic, which often will then get caught at the signals further to the north heading towards I-287/NJ-440. Additionally, the signalling at the US-1/CTY-514 junction is so poorly implemented that if a car triggers the signal on CTY-514 heading east, so example, after the east signal turns red, the westbound signal turns green, even if no one is waiting in that direction!. This needlessly makes US-1 motorists wait (as well as subsequent eastbound travelers on CTY-514 who have to wait for a whole light sequence to run through again), and needlessly serves as a point of congestion and delay, not to mention a source of added pollution and suit from cars and trucks being stopped for no reason and then having to accerlate back up to speed once the signal turns green again. (Maybe it's just time for an overpass?). Most recently observed on 12/10/2018.
  • Middlesex County, North Brunswick Township: On US-1, the traffic light controlling Commerce Blvd (the northern access road to the new Target built on the east side of US-1) as it crosses US-1 stops traffic when there is no one waiting at the light, perhaps in conjunction with the light just to the north for Adams Lane (which itself is a suspect light which appears to turn red merely to stop US-1 traffic even when there is no cross-traffic waiting at night; in the daytime it is always busy and should be provided with an overpass). Thus, late at night, when the Target et. al. are closed and there are very few cars which need to cross US-1, the light for Commerce Blvd. will stop US-1 traffic, which often had just been stopped just north at Adams Lane) for no reason (that is, when no crossing cars are present, since again, the mall is closed!!!!), causing cars and trucks heading south to stop at Adams, and then half a mile south at Commerce. This was never a problem before the Target and other stores opened, so whoever set up the lights must either be an idiot or thinks that stopping traffic needlessly and making them wait will build awareness for the shopping area! Hopefully, most motorists will be so fed up with all the stopping in the area that they will just avoid the Target and other stores, putting them out of business so the Commerge Rd. (and even the Main St. light, which doen't appear to needlessly stop traffic even though it goes to the same mall area) will be removed and traffic can return to what it used to be like there. To see this moronic light in action, just drive on US-1 ar around 2AM, and sit at Adams Lane. As traffic comes down/south from the overpass over the rail line, it will often (perhaps needlessly, especially at night) be stopped at Adams. Once Adams turns green and people get up to speed (55 MPH), the light at Commerce will turn red just as they approach, again, at 2 in the morning, with no one anyone near Commerce needing to cross, all US-1 traffic has to stop again for no reason. (And even in the daytime, when the the lights for Adams, Commerce and Main arguably have a purpose, they should be sequenced to change together if needed, holding mall traffic in favor os US-1 through traffic). Most recent instance of even more NJ-DOT (or Middlesex DOT? Or North Brunswick DOT?) idiocy was observed on 03/24/2019.
  • Middlesex County, Monmouth Juction: The traffic light controlling crossing traffic over US-1 along New Road will change to red and stop US-1 traffic when there are no cars waiting to cross US-1. Even late at night, cars and trucks along US-1 are forced to stop for no reason to allow non-existen cars to cross US-1 at New Road. No doubt the guests at the Days Inn, just to the west of US-1 along New Road, appreciate all the extra road noise this causes in the middle of the night, and the residents of the Monmouth Junction area overall appreciate all the extra pollution which this light, and all the other poorly timed/purposely sequenced lights which needlessly stop traffic late at night as a result of the typically brain-dead local or state government which is tasked to operate the lights. Most recently observed on 03/24/2019.
  • Middlesex County, South Brunswick Township: A traffic signal located at the JCT of Deans Rhode Hall Rd/CTY-610 and US-130 will change from a green signal to a red light for no reason. Further, it favors the cross traffic rather than US-130. Most recently observed on 01/12/2013.
  • Middlesex County, South Brunswick: A traffic signal changes from green to red for no apparent reason at the JCT of US-130 and CTY-610/Henderson Rd. Most recent instance occurred on 01/23/2012.
  • Middlesex County, South Brunswick: A traffic signal changes from green to red for no apparent reason at the JCT of US-130 and NJ-32. Most recent instance occurred on 12/05/2010.
  • Middlesex County, South Brunswick Township: A traffic signal located at the JCT of US-1 and Blackhorse Lane changes from green to red for absolutely no reason. Most recent instance observed on 12/03/2012.
  • Middlesex County, South Brunswick Township: A traffic signal located at the JCT of US-1 and Deans Lane changes from green to red for absolutely no reason. Most recent instance observed on 12/03/2012.
  • Middlesex County, South Brunswick Township: The traffic signal on US-130 at teh JCT with Independence Road (the first light immediately south of the US-1/US-301 split) changes to red for no reason in the middle of the night when there is no crossing traffic along Independence. Do the homeowners nearby like hearing cars and trucks brake and then accelerate in the middle of the night? Or breathe in all the extra pollution while they sleep? Apparently no one minds that the light on Independence is helping lower the quality of living there... Most recent instance observed on 11/27/2019.

  • Somerset County, Branchburg/Raritan: US-202 just west of the Somerville (Raritan) Circle (where US-202 passes over the circle where US-206 breaks off to the south and NJ-28 starts and heads north), at the first traffic light west of the circle, the light controlling the US-202/1st Ave - Country Club Rd. always stops through traffic on US-202, and favors the much lighter volume of traffic on 1st Ave. This light vitiates the purpose of the US-202 flyover over the circle, as motorists, instead of having to stop at the circle (as they had to prior to the construction of the flyover) are now being forced to stop 2000 feet to the west at the 1st Avenue intersection for no apparent reason other than to stop traffic and time it to meet future red lights south/west along US-202 (and as usual, this is even in the middle of the night with light traffic heading east/west on US-202 and practically no traffic heading north/south on 1st. Ave.). The -majority- of people driving on US-202, especially when there is light traffic, will likely have to needlessly stop for the 1st Avenue light, polluting the air in Raritan for no reason other than to stop traffic over and over along this stretch of US-202. Most recent instance observed on 08/10/2023.
  • Somerset County, Branchburg/Raritan: The traffic signal controlling US-202 and Miltown Rd is yet another one of the seemingly endless signals which turn red for US-202 traffic, in the middle of the night, when there is no crossing/entering traffic on either side of US-202 on Miltown Rd. Passing west and downhill from Wegmans, traffic is needlessly stopped at Miltown from 60 to 0 MPH, and then back up to 60 once the signal turns green again, resulting is cars putting out a significantly greater amount of pullution into the air for local residents to breathe in while they sleep. (And the signal doesn't help town/state revenue either - the two main police traps on the US-202 SB downhill near the light are, errr, "deprived" of their lucrative stream of revenue enhancement...err...speeding fines, by people stopping for a light when they are otherwise driving responsibly and are being stopped for no reason by the light. If this loss of revenue were pointed out to the municipality/state, it seems very likely that the signal will soon be remedied. Never let safety or public health get in the way of more money to the town and/or state, of course!) Most recent instance occurred on 03/18/2022.
  • Somerset County, Branchburg/Raritan: Sneaky local town government (or is US-202 a state maintained road in Raritan?) - they appear as of Spring 2021 to have "moved" the function of the above signal west one intersection, so that if the Milltown Rd. signal doesn't you by turning red just to stop people (right at the bottom of a hill and under a RR bridge west of Wegmans), the next signal down at River Road does! The effect, however, is the same either the Miltown or River singals: stopping 55-MPH traffic on a main highway for no reason in the middle of the night with no traffic anywhere nearby. So basically, your local/state government at work again, using your tax dollars to play traffic signal games to slow you down in the middle of the night for no reason. And one wonders why there is an incremental distrust in government? Little things add up... In any event, the Milltown signal, now River Rd. signal discussion from when it was Milltown is below:
      "Traffic light located at the JCT of westbound US-202 and Milltown Rd. (just west of the Wegmans) purposely changes from green to red when it senses oncoming motorists at any time of night so as to force a stop to traffic. This is a surprising (sarcasm, of course...) development as Raritan is a participant New Jersey's Green Acres program. Typical of the hypocrisy of many local governments, they're very quick to use environmentalism to err... "encourage" residents to make extra efforts to recycle garbage or what not, but when it comes to a simple and easy way to stop pollution, such as not stopping traffic in the middle of the night for no reason, well, that they can't be bothered with! This light has been needlessly stopping motorists and impeding the free flow of traffic for years, but of course nothing is ever done to remedy the problem. (And then they also station a local policeman there to catch people who are induced into speeding to beat the idiotic and wasteful light...and of course the town is no doubt convinced at how righteously correct they are! -- the money from the tickets is --of course-- a distant secondary consideration!) Most recent instance occurred on 07/26/2020."
    Update 04/21/2019 - It seems on a recent trip late at night that this light was no longer -- could it be that someone there at the town actually did something correct and proper and did their job to make sure traffic didn't needlessly stop at a light? We'll have to test on future trips, but it's a welcome improvement if true (...but we're not holding our breath! :) )
    Nah - common sense and accountability in New Jersey local government is as ephemeral as ever - the idiotic Milltown Road light is back to it's usual tricks - driving south on US-202, it turns red for cars passing by Wegmans and under the railroad bridge, and northbound it seems to do the same after passing North Branch River Road around the Raritan River bridge. We see a lot of people running the light and/or just ignoring it, and we can't blame them, since it's obvious it functions for no reason in most cases other than to just needlessly stop people. So no progress, and of as 07/26/2020, the light just sits there, even in the middle of the night, intentionally and needlessly stopping those who still opt to abide by it.
  • Somerset County, Bridgewater: Just west along US-202 from the above Milltown/River Rd. nonsense, there's another fun signal which helps pollute the evening air in Bridgewater: The 1st Street/ the easternmost Old York Road crossing of US-202 (incorrectly? labled on the street sign at the intersection with US-202 as "CTY-567", but it seems in actuality that CTY-567 remains south of US-202 by a few hundred feet, and becomes South Branch Rd, near a corporate campus with roads named Chubb Way and Imclone Drive). Basically, US-202 traffic is needlessly stopped by non-existent traffic on Old York Road near the intersections with Chubb Way and Imclone Drive. Not really anyone working there at night (Is Imclone even still around?), yet the signal zealously changes on US-202 to stop the free flow of 55-MPH traffic, only to make everyone start up again and pollute the area even more. Good work NJ DOT and/or Bridgewater DOT - our tax dollars yet again well-spent! But then you want us to pay more taxes to mitigate and clean-up pollution... got it. Maybe if you all got the lights working better so people didn't have to stop/start all the time needlessly there'd be less pollution to begin with? But nah, that's too easy...much better to make us pay more rather than adopt the more commom-sense solution! Last observed: 03/18/2022.
  • Somerset County, Bridgewater: A traffic signal on US-202 at the JCT of Towns Center Drive is sequenced to ensure that motorists stop. It is a very brief but still unnecessary stop. Most recent instance occurred on 08/22/2011. Given their extensive Thinking Green initiative, it seems odd that traffic signals which force motorists to needlessly stop and start (and pollute more) are apparently so easily overlooked. Last observed: 04/10/2018

  • Union County, Elizabeth: A signal located at the JCT of US-1 and CTY-610/Rhodes Hall Rd changes color for no reason for oncoming US-1 traffic. Most recent instance occurred on 09/06/2010. Given the town's aggressive Go Green! campaign, this traffic signal is especially auspicious.

  • Warren County, Robbinsville: A traffic signal located approximately one mile south of the JCT of NJ-33 and US-130 seems to exist for the sole purpose of stopping vehicular traffic. The signal appears to detect oncoming traffic and will display a red light to briefly stop it. This is a phenomenon that occurs during peak traffic hours as well 2:00 am. Most recent instance occurred on 08/11/2008, reported to New Jersey Dept of Transportation in Warren County on 08/14/2008. No disposition as of yet.
  • New York
  • Columbia County, Hillsdale: At the JCT of NY-22 and NY-23, at the center of town, there is an idiotic little traffic light which in the middle of the night, when there is more or less no traffic, evey 25 seconds or so changes aspect, controlling non-existant traffic and on occasion stopping a lone motorist on NY-22 or NY-23. Instead of flashing yellow North/South traffic on NY-22 (which likely gets a few more cars than NY-23 overnight), and flashing red on NY-23 (East/West), the signal arbitrarily stops motorists and trucks, mainly on NY-22. Most recently observed: 08/16/2019

  • Dutchess County, Larangeville: CTY-21/Noxon Road at the intersection with Robinson Road (heading south) and Old Noxon Road (heading west), at the Noxon Road Elementary School. The traffic light controlling this intersection turns red along Noxon Road (the main road with the preponderance of traffic) even when there is no cross-traffic waiting, or left turning traffic heading off of Noxon Hill Rd. As a heavily used road coming off/feeding into the Taconic State Parkway, stopping vehicles needlessly along Noxon Hill results in backups and added pollution for the area which CTY-21/Noxon Rd. travels through as it parallels NY-55 to the north. Most recently observed: 05/02/2019.

  • Nassau County, Great Neck: Lakeville Rd at Cumberland Ave; Lakeville Rd. is a north/south arterial road, connecting NY-25/Jericho Turnpike at it's southern end in New Hyde Park, with NY-25B/Hillside Ave., Union Turnpike in Lake Success, Marcus Ave (and an photo enforced traffic light at WB Marcus to NB Lakeville which is not well marked and obviously there just to make money), the Northern State Parkway, The Long Island Expressway, up to Northern Blvd/NY-25A (north of which it continues as Middle Neck Road into downtown Great Neck and Kings Point). The segment heading north from the LIE to Northern Blvd is very congested at peak periods, oftentimes with stopped traffic from end to end. Thus, a light was placed at the intersection of Lakeville and Cumberland, likely to allow traffic on Cumberland to access Lakeville during period of high traffic volume with wall to wall stopped traffic. While this makes sense during rush hours, at midnight, it doesn't, and the light on Cumberland idiotically still runs, stopping people just south of the Lakeville/Northern Blvd. intersection, seemingly timed to ensure that northbound traffic has to stop at Cumberland, and when the light turns green on Cumberland in then turns red on Northern, perhaps 300 ft. up the road, requiring another (long) stop. Southbound the timing is equally annoying. Basically, when there is no traffic, the light on Cumberland is not needed, and should flash yellow for Lakeville N/S traffic, or at the very least, be a demand only light, so that it only stops traffic on Lakeville when there is someone on Cumberland heading west and stopped at the light. Most recently observed: 12/12/2020
  • Nassau County, Manhasset: Northern Blvd/NY-25A and the southern endpoint of Plandome Rd; eastbound traffic which turns north from Northern onto Plandome has a dedicated left turn signal. For some odd reason, when the signal aspect is green for east-west NY-25A, and a eastbound motorist enters the left turn lane to head north on Plandome, the EASTBOUND signal ALSO turns red, stopping eastbound traffic, which is totally unecessary! As Plandome Road ends at NY-25A, westbound traffic can not make a left turn, and there is only a left turn for eastbound traffic heading north. Yet the signal turns red for both westbound and eastbound traffic, needlessly stopping eastbound traffic. Most recently observed: 06/04/2021
  • Nassau County, Manhasset: Northern Blvd/NY-25A, Strathmore, and Pickwick Roads; just east of Lord & Taylor on what was the westernost portion of the Miracle Mile (not so miraculous anymore with most of the large department stores closed or closing, and The Americana shopping center offering overpriced items which no one really needs), and near the Barnes and Noble, the traffic lights for Strathmore and Pickwick Roads, which essentially offer access to the shops on the south side of Northern, and the residential areas to the north, turn red and stop E/W traffic on Northern for no reason, that is, when no one is waiting at either Strathmore and Pickwick to access or cross Northern Blvd. Oftentimes, one light will go red, and once it returns to green, the other -no more than 400 ft away- goes red, forcing traffic, even in the middle of the night, to stop needlessly over and over. Like so many other lights on this list, at night, the lights should just flash yellow for E/W Northern Blvd traffic, and during the day they should be demand-only lights which stop traffic on Northern only when someone is on them and needs to access or cross Northern. Most recently observed: 12/12/2020.
  • Nassau County, Roslyn: East Broadway at the intersection with Main St; both roads surround the Roslyn Duck Pond (Gerry Park), with Main St. to the west, and East Broaday (which is one-way only in the southbound direction) along the east side side of the pond. (The top of pond is bordered by Old Northern Blvd along the Roslyn Harbor; the clock tower at Old Northern and Main was used in the 1970's movie "The Out of Towners" to be a location shot for Jack Lemmon's character's home town in Ohio.) South of the Duck Pond, East Broadway merges into Main at a very long traffic light, which can sometimes take minutes to change! There appear to be magentic coils under East Broadway to detect when someone is waiting (if they work or the light ignores them and is purely timed is unknown), yet motorists on East Broadway where it ends at Main are forced to wait needlessly, especially at night, when there is no one on Main. Since there are traffic coils/plates on East Broadway, why not quickly change the light to green, let the few cars proceed onto Main, and then quickly turn the aspect back to that favoring Main? As it stands now, cars on East Broadway wait for minutes on end at a fool's traffic light where there is no traffic to speak of heading north or south on Main. Most recently observed on 12/12/2020.

  • Westchester County, Yonkers: A traffic signal located approximately 500 ft. north of where NY-100 south crosses under I-87 and approximately a quarter mile south of where NY-100 crosses over the Sprain Brook Parkway near the Bronx River Parkway. The signal appears to cycle every minute or so irrespective of the time of night or whether the current traffic pattern even requires it. These traffic signals are used as a replacement for a U-turn which used to be located in this area. Several years ago, motorists coming north on NY-100 who wanted to change over to the southbound side had to make a U-turn in the area where NY-100 goes under I-87. However, a large tanker truck once went in there at approximately 40mph, overturned and burned down the entire overpass, so the signal now serves as a means for motorists to head to NY-100 south from I-87 north. The signal should change only when a car is waiting and triggers it; as it is now, mor eoften than not it changes, for an extended period of time, when no one needs to make the turn, stopping 50 or 100 cars at a time for no reason, and increasing to the already poor air quality than Yonkers suffers from. Most recently observed on 09/20/2020.
  • Westchester County, Yonkers: Here's a new one in Yonkers' ever growing efforts to make sure that no one ever gets anywhere - the left turn signal on Central Avenue/NY-100 north to the Sprain Brook Parkway was changed in September, 2020 so that it now only allows left turning traffic to the Sprain when a green arrow is present, and otherwise, no left turn is permitted. Previously, for decades, left turning traffic to the Sprain would be given a signal aspect of plain green (proceed straight on NY-100 north, or left to the Sprain when safe to make the left turn), with an additional left turn green arrow to stop southbound traffic on NY-100 for a part of the signal cycle to allow northbound NY-100 traffic onto the Sprain. This facilitated a smoother flow of traffic, as there often are large gaps in southbound NY-100 traffic, allowing left turns for northbound traffic, allowing cars to "slip in" between southbound traffic, and preventing long delays on NY-100 north of cars waiting to turn onto the Sprain Parkway. Now, in their infinite wisdom, cars are forced to stop with a very short turn-only signal with a very short window of time, backing up turning traffic into the regular travel lanes on NY-100 north, which is likely to cause more acidents than the signal was presumably installed to save. Another ridiculous traffic light implemeneted by clueless people who we all pay to do an apparently incompetent job. If someone gets hit from begind while waiting for the light, hopefully (no one will be hurt and) they will sue Yonkers for putting in such a dangerous signal which causes more problems than it solves. Most recently observed: 09/20/2020.
  • Pennsylvania
  • Chester County, Longwood (Kennet Township): Could the idiotic middle-of-the-night, in-a-valley, Bayard Rd. traffic light have been actually fixed??? Recent trips along US-1, in the middle of the night, seem to indicate that the light no longer favors a Wawa gas station (on the north side of US-1) and a shopping area with no cars since it's late at night, and actually only stops US-1 traffic when there is someone waiting to get on to US-1. But we've been fooled by this before - it is fixed for a few weeks and then reverts back to it's old ways, so here's hoping it stays fixed. But as of April 2021, it seems to be functioning sanely, for a change! The long discussion of the idiotic Bayard Road signal is below, and let's hope it remains in this "corrected" section for good! Update May 2023: Nope, it's back to ridiculously stopping US-1 traffic; it's such a silly light that everyone runs it. There's no reason for it to even be active late at night - just flash it yellow for US-1 and red for the gas station.

    Along US-1, just north (compass direction east) of where the US-1 Kennet-Ofxord bypass (a freeway from Longwood south/west all the way to the Maryland line) ends, US-1 passes through a shopping area west of Longwood Gardens, with (what was pre-2020) a 24-hour Walmart, a Giant (Carlisle-side of the chain), and where there used to be a 24-hour Superfresh/A&P (before the chain was raided and driven into bankruptcy). At the lowest point of US-1 in Longwood, Bayard Rd. crosses US-1, which provides access to a Wawa market on the north side of US-1 and, at night, no traffic into a shopping plaza to the south. However, for some reason, Kennet town officials (since Longwood is unincorporated) seem to light playing games with the light, which turns red to stop traffic on US-1 every 20 or so seconds. So, all night long, where there is no traffic at all on Bayard, the light turns red for no reason, forcing motorists and trucks to stop -- on a downhill! -- and then throttle back up when the light turns green to get up the hill. While there don't seem to be too many houses nearby to hear the air-braking of the trucks heading down the hill, nor to inhale and smell the car exhaust and truck diesel fumes which haven't been fully combusted and will make a nice coating to anyone's lungs in the vicinity, one has to wonder what sort of incompetence permeates the town or administration which actually runs the lights? Doesn't the town even bother to check these things? And even when people complain about it and the light seems temporarily fixed, a few weeks or a month go by, and the Bayard Rd. signal is back to it's old tricks. One has to wonder if Kennet Township has some recycling or environmental conservation program which they spend taxpayers' money on, when a signficiant point-source of pollution could be immediately remedied (at no cost to taxpayers, but why should they care about things like that?) by simply correcting the Bayard Road light. This has been going on for maybe 15 years, so one would expect even the most dim-witted of town administrations (admittedly a highly competitive market!) to be able to correct such a simple issue. Last occurred on 02/10/2024.
  • Chester County, Longwood (Kennet Township): The signals controlling US-1's intersections with PA-52, just north of Longwood Gardens, for no apparent reason turn red to northbound US-1 traffic (at the PA-52 North/Lenape Rd JCT), and then when they turn green again, the next set of signals to the north, for PA-52 South/Kennett Pike, turn red just as motorists reach that signal. Besides being annoying, wasting time, and wasting gas, locals/motorists who know the pattern will race to beat the light since the light seems purposely timed to make people needlessly stop. The signal's aspect also appears to often stop northbound US-1 traffic to allow southbound traffic to make a left to a street which isn't even built, eg, an empty lot!. Last observed: 08/19/2023
  • Chester County, Longwood (Kennet Township): Just north of the US-1/PA-52 South junction (above), US-1 intersects with two small roads, Kendal Dr. (the access road for a development named "Kendal at Longwood"), and a few feet further north, "Woodchuk Way". Until late 2023, this light was never a problem - the US-1 (main road) aspect remained green, and it only changed briefly for cars exiting from the Kendal velopment or waiting on Woodchuck Way. However, as of late 2023, for some idiotic reason, during overnight hours (and likely during the day as well), the -default- appears to be that US-1 traffic gets a red signal, and has to wait for over a minute to get the green. This just leads to people running the light, since they realize that it is currently serving no useful purpose, and also furthering increased pollution in the area (as if Bayard Rd. near Wawa isn't bad enough!) by needlessly stopping people (those who do stop, that is) at night and then gunning their engines to get back to speed when the light eventually does turn green for US-1 traffic. At the next town meeting for Kennet Township, when they ask you to do more to help the environment and/or improve traffic safety, maybe someone as the dopes who run the lights why they can't do more themselves! Last observed: 02/10/2024

  • Delaware County, Chester/Upper Chichester/Garnet Valley: A seemingly new problem along US-322/Conchester Highway, the signal for Creek Parkway, a very lightly used (at night) intersection seems to favor Creek Parkway traffic, and stops US-322 traffic for no apparent reason. As with many of these silly lights, traffic at night knows it stops them for no reason, and just run the light. US-322 was supposed to have been built to a full freeway, but the locals didn't want that, so the northern part (near US-1) was upgraded in 2021/2022 to 4 lanes with traffic lights, yet the southern section (closer to I-95 and the existing mini-freeway) hasn't been upgraded at all. As a result, due to the lack of a proper roadway for US-322, traffic has to slow down near the Acme, Walmart, and bowling alley on the east side of US-322, and the Creek Parkway signal just adds more delay to an already slow and congested area. At night, when there is little cross traffic, the Creek Parkway light is a nuisance at best, and a hazzard at worst, as it is often ignored since locals know it serves no purpose. Last observed: 05/14/2023.
  • Delaware County, Concordville: The traffic light US-1 and Brinton Lake Blvd. for controls an intersection which has very little traffic at night crossing US-1, yet regularly changes to stop US-1 traffic and favor (non-existant) traffic on US-1. Additionally, after completing the Brinton Lake aspect, the signal continues to block US-1 traffic by allowing left turn movements from US-1 (N/B and S/B) to Brinton Lake, even if there are no cars waiting to make said turn(s). A completely wasteful and foolish signal needlessly slowing down traffic in the middle of the night, which no doubt contributes towards making the air quality in Chadds Ford even more polluted and delightful for all those who live there! Delaware County operates a green pages/environmental awareness campaign so this foolishly run traffic light seems especially unnecessary and typically hypocritical of a town which claims to be so environmentally concerned...or, typically of many local governments, they just really don't care about providing rational, common-sense services and administration, and more about "virtue signalling" (like the town government of Malibu, CA, which zealously and with great enthusiasm passed laws banning plastic straws, but in the same year did nothing to prepare for the town burning down in the annual fire season) and perhaps an extra source of revenue vis a vis traffic fines. Last observed: 01/09/2019.
  • Delaware County, Concordville: A traffic light at US-1 and State Farm Rd/Applied Bank-Card Way will change color/aspect for no apparent reason, even in the middle of the night. US-1, as noted above, is a major N/S (directionally east-west in the local area) arterial route, while State Farm/Applied bank serves a couple of strip malls and drive up banks straddling US-1 on either side. At night, no one is shopping, yet the signal changes and forces free-flowing traffic along US-1 to stop and wait for non-existant cars on State Farm/Applied Way to cross - there is thus no need for the light to change. US-1 is heavily used by trucks in the area, and having traffic stop for no reason just leads to more pollutants being spewed out from the trucks each time the stop and start, which no doubt does wonders for the air-quality and good respiratory health of the residents of Concrodville and all the shoppers at the Concordville Town Center and other stores along US-1 and the Concord Pike. Your taxes at work paying for officials who allow this nonsense to go on day after day, week after week, month after month! Most recently observed on 01/09/2019.
  • Delaware County, Radnor Township/Villanova (which straddles Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County): In the general area of the Main Line (US-30), between JCT PA-320 heading west along US-320 for about 1/2 a mile to JCT I-476/"The Blue Route" (anti-highway protests kept the much needed Philadelphia half-beltway from being built for so long that it was for a long time just a blue route on a map, hence "The Blue Route; when it was finally finished in 1990 or so it was many times more expensive than if it had been built without all the uneeded opposition, since PA-320 simply couldn't handle all the traffic) has some of the worst timedsignals in Eastern Pennsylvania. Recently, it took 5 minutes to get from Villanova to I-476 south, a distance of 1/2 a mile, at 2AM, with no traffic! Why? Besides the "no right on red" from PA-320 south to US-30 west, and the poorly timed light controlling the intersection on PA-320 and US-30 (as well as the inrregular intersection), once a motorist gets on US-30 west, there are three sets of lights, all of which seem to change to red in sequence to prevent a motorist from quickly proceeding to I-476. In the middle of the night, there is no reason for any of these lights to no "flash yellow" for US-30 E/W traffic, and "flash red" for PA-320 and other cross-street and I-476 ramp traffic. So, it takes 5 minutes to go half a mile due to the ridiculous traffic lights on the Main Line at Villanova. Last observed: 06/14/2019.
  • Virginia
  • Alexandria (Independent City of), Alexandria: On VA-7/Leesburg Pike, the traffic signals between South Jefferson Street, Forest Drive, and South Geroge Mason Drive, about a mile north of I-395, appear to be timed to essentially stop traffic, even in the middle of the night, for no reason, when there is no cross traffic on any of the streets which needs to cross VA-7. Traveling south on VA-7, after stopping (with no cross traffic waiting) on South Jefferson St., as soon as the S. Jefferson light turns green, the next light, a tiny intersection at Forest Drive, turns red, and then after Forest turns green to VA-7 traffic, well, of course, the S. George Mason Drive light turns red. Brilliant traffic management - having cars stop and delivery trucks stop and start all night long must do wonders for local air quality. Is there really ANY reason all those lights are not set to flash yellow for VA-7 during overnight hours? Most recently observed: 06/03/2020

  • Arlington County, Columbia Heights: Just north of I-395 on VA-120/Glebe Road, the traffic signal controlling the I-395S exit ramp, VA-120, and 24th Rd. South, appears to be set to stop both northbound and southbound traffic, even in the middle of the night, with no I-395 exiting traffic, or cross traffic on 24th Rd (which itself is just a small road which to the east goes to the Dolly Madison apartment complex and to the west to Shirlington Rd. - at night the whole area is deserted). Traffic heading north on Glebe/VA-120 will stop either just north of I-395, and/or at 24th Rd, and the reverse is true for the southbound direction; the signals appear to be designed to stop traffic in either direction regardless of there being any cross traffic waiting. People often speed up and run the lights since they know the lights are timed to merely (and needlessly) stop them, and not due to any valid traffic control or safety reason. Most recently observed: 10/04/2020.
  • Arlington County, Arlington/Ballston: Glebe Rd/VA-120 has a series of lights, especially northbound, starting at North Randoplh St/Harris Teeter's, all the way up past the Ballston Quarter Mall, to Fairfax Drive (and the I-66W ramps), as well as a bit borth to the I-66E ramps. Traffic lights along this stretch of Glebe appear to be timed to essentially stop traffic at nearly every light! Even in the middle of the night, with no crossing traffic, traveling north on Glebe, traffic is stopped by the light at the intersection for no reason, at Harris Teeter's (which is closed) and Randolph (with no one there). After the long light turns green, the light at the Ballston Quarter mall garage/N. Carlin Springs Road turns red (the mall too is closed at night), and then provides a left turn for southbound traffic into the mall (which is STILL closed! :) ), all while holding up northbound traffic on Glebe. Once northbound Glebe traffic is finally allowed to proceed after the needlessly protracted wait, the next light heading north, at 7th St, turns red, and by the time 7th turns green, the next one to the north, Wilson Blvd turns red. Utterly ridiculous! This happens in the middle of the night when there is no one on the road - they should all be flashing yellow for Glebem and red for the cross traffic (except for Fairfax and Wilson). Typical local town/city stupidity because they don't care and feel they don't have to. Perhaps they just enjoy all the extra fumes and pollution at night? Most recently observed 10/04/2020.
  • Arlington County, Pentagon City: On Army-Navy Drive, which parallels I-395 on its south side in the Pentagon City area, the traffic signal just east of the Pentagon City Mall controlling the intersection with South Fern Street seems by some foolish design to change to red and stops east-west traffic just as signals to both the east (at South Eads Street) and to the west of it (at South Hayes Street) turn green. Many times, late at night, traffic exiting from the "secret" southbound ramp off of the VA-110 freeway (which primarily loops to I-395 heading north to DC, but also has an exit to Army/Navy Drive heading west), or other general traffic just heading west from Crystal City will be stopped at the South Eads Street signal (which itself could likely suffice with just a flashing yellow/red late at night), and after S. Eads turns green to, traffic will be immediately stopped a few hundred feet down the road by the next signal (west) at South Fern. On most nights, after the mall closes, the area is deserted, and there are barely any cars out driving from 11PM to maybe 5AM, and the signal at S. Fern is particularly aggregious in preventing the smooth flow of the limited traffic in the evening and overnight. Most recently observed: 04/24/2019

  • Fairfax County, Fairfax: Lee Highway and Draper Road, just west of the Arlington Blvd (US-50) and Lee Highway (US-29) merge/rotary, and east of the Eaton Place "bypass" to get to VA-123/Chain Bridge Rd. north. This silly little road (Draper) has no traffic at night, and yet for no reason the signal aspect for the Lee Highway turns red when no one is waiting on Draper, foolishly stopping drivers on the Lee Highway for no reason. Most recently observed: 06/18/2021
  • Fairfax County, Fairfax: Lee Highway/US-29/US-50 at the intersection with Lion Run, a minor road, yet traffic on the newly-3-laned (each way) Lee highway is forced to stop, even in the middle of the night, for an apparently randomly changing light which stops traffic on the Lee Highway. Why is it necessary to stop traffic, late at night, for a small road which maybe has 10 cars travel on it per hour at night? Most recently observed: 11/02/2020
  • Fairfax County, Fairfax: Lee Highway/US-29/US-50 at the Intersection of McLean Rd, just west of the JCT of the Lee Highway and VA-123. East/West traffic on the Lee Highway is forced to stop, even in the middle of the night, for a light controlling the intersection of the Lee Highway and McLean Rd., a small road which rarely has any traffic on it late at night. What should be a demand light for McLean Rd, or just a flashing yellow/Lee red/McLean, forces Lee Highway traffic to stop and wait 30 seconds for non-existent traffic on McLean. Seems like just a silly light designed to stop traffic for no apparent reason, or to "mitigate" traffic going into the VA-123 intersection heading east, but with no traffic to speak of during overnight hours, why is the McLean signal even operative then? Most recently observed: 12/12/2020.
  • Fairfax County, Fairfax: Just west of the above on Fairfax Blvd/US-50, right after US-29/Lee Highway breaks off to the southwest at the US-29 (Lee) / US-50 (Fairfax) / VA-236 (Main St.) intersection, Bevan Drive, another silly little road which serves maybe 10 cars overnight, turns red for westbound US-50 traffic to facilitate the left turn signal for eastbound traffic from eastbound US-50 to northbound Bevan (non-existent) traffic. In other words, for no reason, and with no one turning, the eastbound US-50 left turn signal at Bevan comes on, and stops westbound US-50 traffic. The light could just be "flashed" all night light, let alone sit there and go through red-green cycles, but there's no reason to stop US-50 traffic westbound at all, especially when no one even wants to turn! Most recently observed: 06/18/2021.
  • Fairfax County, McLean: The traffic signal on Chain Bridge Road (west of where it becomes VA-123), at the intersection with Tennyson Drive/Ingleside Ave (just west of the 24-hour Giant and CVS plaza), turns red for no reason in the middle of the night, when there are no cars waiting to enter Chain Bridge Rd. from either direction on Tennyson. Most recently observed: 08/06/2021.
  • Fairfax County, McLean: The traffic signal on Great Falls Road at the intersection of Davis Road (which heads west towards what used to be a 24-hour Safeway, towards some older garden apartments, and ultimately ends at VA-7 just inside the Beltway at a large building numbered "7777") appears to normally have a red aspect (light) for Great Falls Road traffic, until someone approaches on Davis. Then, the signal turns red to stop the person on Davis just before they can enter the intersection, and turns green for the (non-existent) traffic on Great Falls, making the person on Davis, eg, the only one coming into the intersection, wait needlessly. In other words, the light is normally red for Great Falls, which is where most of the traffic is traveling on, so they are needlessly stopped. When a car happens to approach on Davis (not as often), even though the light was green for Davis, it then turns red to make sure the driver on Davis has to stop, and green for Great Falls, even though no one is waiting on either side there. In effect, the light isn't there to expedite the flow of traffic, but just to make sure that everyone has to stop and wait, even at 2AM when there is no one on either road. Most recent instance occurred on 08/25/2021.
  • Fairfax County, Tysons Corner: A traffic signal located at the JCT of Gallows Rd/VA-650 and Idlewood changes color for no reason. The signal is apparently more frequently green for Idlewood, an east/west road with relatively little traffic compared to VA-650. It is programmed in such a way that it has Idlewood traffic (of which there is frequently little, especially late at night) gets a green light and a left turn signal so that even westbound Idlewood traffic has to stop. Upon reaching the intersections, motorists on Gallows Rd must wait 30 seconds for a completely unnecessary stop. Most recent instance occurred on 04/10/2011. Fairfax County operates a planning commission tasked with minimizing pollution, among other things, so this seems to be a strange oversight.
  • Fairfax County, Tysons Corner: A series of traffic lights along VA-123/Chain Bridge Rd, from south of the JCT with VA-7 (and the VA-123 overpass) to Old Courthouse Road, to Horse Shoe Drive serve to needlessly stop vehicles when there is no cross traffic on either/any of the above roads crossing VA-123. For example, cars proceeding north on VA-123 from Vienna (and passing through the needlessly slow 25 MPH speed-trap zone just north of the town) will generally be forced to stop at the (northern) JCT/intersection of Horse Shoe Road and VA-123, even when there is no traffic on Horse Shoe Rd. waiting to cross over or enter onto VA-123. Then, after beeing needlessly stopped on Horse Shoe, a few hundred feet to the north, at Old Courthouse, the signal turns red just as cars are picking up speed from the (needless) Old Horse Shoe red signal, forcing another stop. Then, after the Courthouse signal turns green for VA-123, cars are again stopped at Boone Blvd, and of course when, again, there are no cars waiting to cross or enter from Boone. So in what would normally be a situation with sequenced green lights during the day, or flashing yellow lights at night, for whatever reason, the lights along VA-123 just north of Vienna and south of the Tysons VA-7 interchange force motorists to stop needlessly three times in about 1250 ft of road for no reason at all! And, before anyone at the town of McClean or VDOT or whoever handles the lights on VA-123 in that area can say "We never noticed it...", we'll just note that it's been that way for, oh, 12 years or so, so one would think that someone would have "noticed" it!. Most recent instance occurred on 05/10/2019.

  • Corrected Problems

    The following were problem areas but have apparently been corrected and/or no longer suffer from regular/repeated unnecessary changes from green to red traffic signals.

    Connecticut

  • Fairfield County, Brookfield: At the current end of the still incomplete US-7 freeway (it was initially supposed to go to Canada, then New Milford, and now it just ends at the northern end of Brookfield, typical of Connecticut's inability to get any roads built anymore), at the JCT of US-7/US-202 where the freeway stops and the US-7 "aterial" begins (read: where the police hide at night all the time to stop people ostensibly for driving too fast which would not have been the case if the freeway were built), a traffic signal controls the intersection which appears to be either badly timed or (and this hasn't been tested) is set to turn red when approached from either the south or the north to ensure that motorists stop at the signal. Again, this is even late at night, when the US-202 aspect of the signal could just flash red (there is little traffic late at night from US-202/old US-7 to the US-7 freeway south or te US-7/US-202 arterial north), so why the signal so blindly enforces a stop (and a long one at that!) at the northern end of the US-7 is confounding. Is the town of Brookfield trying to help local brake shops in the area? Does ConnDOT want to prove that the freeway needs to be continued north by having pollution levels in the area go up? (And for that matter, WHY was a traffic light even put in there when an additional intechange could have been instead and just north of the interchange end the freeway instead? Does it make sense to end a freeway with a red light, or to more gradually slow down the traffic? But this is CT, where so many freeways just end (I-384 to US-6 for example, or US-6's Willimantic bypass' western end) and are never finished, that this shouldn't surprise any Conn resident. First observed: July 2011 / Nost recently observed: 09/16/2018. Update - as of Dec 2018, it seems ConnDOT or the Town of Brookfield or whomever maintains the signal may have changed this, and late at night, the signal favors US-7 traffic and stays green along the US-7 aspect until someone needs to access US-202. On January 6th, 2019, the signal was again observed actually operating properly - US-7 traffic normally received a green and would only turn red for US-202 traffic. If this is correct, and the issue has been resolved, this entry will be moved to the relatively sparse 'corrected' section of this list. 03/19/2019 update - signal still seems to be properly favoring US-7 traffic and not needlessly stopping traffic. This will be moved to the corrected section after one final subsequent favorable observation. Yes, in fact this appears to be corrected after a number of drive-throughs, so good for whoever finally fixed the signals and got them working to help, and not needlessly delay, US-7 traffic! Signal is OK and functioning properly to control traffic as of 04/25/2019. Update 12/07/2020 - well, of course it couldn't last, and some genius changed this idiotic signal yet again so that in the middle of the night, the southbound US-7 traffic has two green left turn arrows, while through traffic to the US-7 abortive freeway is forced to stop, as is northbound US-7 traffic. So yet again, through traffic is foced to stop, for no reason at all, because someone isn't doing their job, or they are not doing a good job. And we pay taxes in CT for this sort of nonsense... So it's out of the "corrected" section and back to the main/poorly-functioning signal section. Last observed: 12/07/2020. As of January 2021, it's been fixed again.
  • Hartford County, Newington: The Berlin Turnpike/CT-15 has some of the worst traffic light signalling/optimization in the state of Connecticut, as the uneeded and poorly sequenced/synchorinized signals which follow will indicate. Probably the worst and most offensive of these lights in along the Turnpike/CT-15 and the JCT with CT-173/Richard St (where the Roy Rogers used to be before it became an Arbys, diagonally across from the Mobil station). Even at night, the signal seems to intentionally turn red for Berlin Turnpike traffic while heading downhill, almost to make sure everyone has to stop. It seems as if whomever runs (if you want to call it that) the Newington Dept of Highways or whatever they have wants to make sure everyone has to slow down, and since the CT. Dept. of Transportation likely didn't let them lower the speed limit, Newington is going to do effectively the same thing by forcing frequent stops on monotorists even late at night with no one else on the road (they could flash it yellow for CT-15/Red for CT-173 for example). Nearly all the time, a motorist traveling south along CT-15 will trigger the light to turn red just before arriving at it - even with no traffic wating or arriving on CT-173! All this really encourages people to do is speed up to "make" the light (or is this another police trap where otherwise good drivers are forced to drive poorly due to stupid planning and nanny-statism on the part of the Town of Newington?). And of course this doesn't help reduce pollution or time wasted at needless stops and starts, but what does Newington care as long as they can assert their distorted notions of traffic safety on all passers-by and maybe make some ticket revenue in the process? This appears to have been correct as of January 2019; if future tests indicate that the signal now operates properly (favors US-5/CT-15 traffic until traffic on CT-173 needs to cross), this signal will be moved to the corrected section. First observed: Oct 2001 / Most recently observed: 1/16/2017; observed operating properly on 01/06/2019, and again on 03/17/2019. Moved to the Corrected section (this section) since the light finally appears to be functioning properly and not needlessly stopping people in the middle of the night on the Berlin Turnpike. Moved to the Corrected section on 03/11/2020.
  • Litchfield County, New Milford: Along US-7, at the intersection with Dodd Rd. (just north of the correctly operated signal for the Stop & Shop and Walmart), there's an utterly idiotic signal which, in the middle of the night, stops traffic on US-7 for no reason (and also presents a left turn aspect along southbound US-7 when there is no one turning). The light operates 24-hours a day on weekdays (even in the middle of the night when there is no one on Dodd Rd.), but on weekends it flashes yellow for US-7 (and red for Dodd), so the light is capable of a flashing yellow aspect for US-7 traffic (as are most other lights along US-7 in the area), but some imbecile who programs the lights in New Milford for some reason never bothered to program this one properly. (Why bother? The light likely doesn't affect him so why bother doing a proper job then?). Last observed needlessly stopping traffic and adding to pollution in New Milford in the middle of the night on 03/17/2019. Note: As of 09/16/2020, it seems to properly go to flashing yellow/red on weekdays, yet in contrast to past operation, now for some odd reason on Saturdays and Sundays (when there is less traffic overnight), it stays on. This really shouldn't be so complicated - just have the light flash yellow/red, every night, from 11PM to 6AM or something. Why is this so difficult to accomplish? UPDATE January 2021: Seems to be fixed and flashes yellow all nights late at night; thus, corrected and moved to the corrected section in January 2021.
  • New Haven County, Wallingford: The traffic light along US-5 at the JCT with CT-68/Barnes Road rigidly stops N/S traffic along US-5, even late at night, fo no apparent reason. The traffic signal is located about 1/2 a mile south of the Wilbur Cross (CT-15/Meritt) Parkway, and about 1/2 a mile north of the 24 hour Walmart. CT-67 actually has an overpass to take CT-68 traffic E/W traffic over US-5 and the parallel Amtrak route, so there is no crossing traffic at CT-68/US-5; the only traffic which should turn the light is traffic heading off of CT-68 making a left turn south onto US-5, which, in the middle of the night, in no one - a flashing red light signal aspect for the CT-68 would be more than adequate. Nevertheless, the signal there turns red every 20 seconds or so for no reason, and even provides a left turn from US-5 south to the CT-68 ramp, even when no one is waiting at the left turn lane. This signal just slows down/stops traffic for no reason, and has been helping raise the air pollution in Wallingford for years. First observed: Dec 1999 / Most recently observed: 12/27/2016, appears to have been finally corrected (with the US-5 work after completion of the HArtford Rail line?) by 06/15/2021.
  • New Jersey

  • Hunterdon County, Flemington, NJ: A traffic signal located at the JCT of Church Rd. and US-202 (just east of Flemington, the last light heading south before arriving at the circle) changes to a stop signal for no apparent reason when driving south. The signal needlessly provides a green light/aspect to non-existent and U-turn traffic even if nobody is at the signal waiting to enter/cross US-202. Most recent instance occurred on 08/22/2011; appears to have been corrected as of late-2022.
  • Hunterdon County, Flemington: Along US-202, just west of the newly-rebuilt Flemington Circle (which doesn't seem to have helped much in late-2018; couldn't they have built an overpass for US-202 traffic, and put a circle underneath as they did along US-202 at the Somerville/Raritan Circle where it intersects with US-206?), where US-202 has an intersection with two apparently U-turn signals (about half a mile south of where the speed limit goes from 45 to 50 MPH), it appears that the U-Turn signals (there appears to be no road name for this two minor turns) are somehow timed to stop people who had just been stopped at the Hart Road set of signals (two signals covering a disjointed interchange to the north). Thus, motorists, especially at night, who are stopped at Hart Road (we still need to determine if Hart Road's signals change for no reason), are forced to stop again at the U-Turn signals about half a mile south on US-202, which apparently only serve as a means to access a bunch of auto dealerships! These dealerships include Dischman/Flemington Ford Lincoln, Flemington Audi, and Flemington Buick/GMC/Cadillac - none of which are open at midnight, and yet the U-turn signals needlessly stop traffic on US-202 by turning red to allow for U-turn, even though there are no cars waiting to turn!. Clealry a signally complex designed just to needlessly stop people where there is no traffic condition present requiring a stop, which makes motorists wonder what the point of such lights are and just run them. First observed: 06/16/2011 / Most recently observed 04/21/2019, and appears to have been corrected as of late-2022.
  • Middlesex County, Cranbury: A traffic signal problem exists on US-130 at the JCT of Station Rd/CTY-615. Should a motorist drive on the shoulder of US-130, the signal will not transition from green to red. However, should a driver stay in the road properly, the signal will turn red. This only happens from the south while proceeding north on US-130. Most recent instance occurred on 11/30/2011. As a participant in the state's Green Acres program, one would think the town of Cranbury would be more aware of problems such as this. As of 06/26/2012, this traffic signal may have been corrected. Further tests will ensue but it may have finally been improved. It seems to have been fixed for many years now, and of 12/2018, no longer seems to be an issue. Let's hope it stays that way! Considered repaired as of 12/10/2018.
  • Middlesex County, Cranbury: US-130 and Dey Road/CTY-614 - likely one of the most offensive, stupid, and downright dangerously idiotic ideas that the Cranbury traffic people (or is it Middlesex County) have come up with, the signal which controls the intersection of Dey Road and US-130, even in the middle of the night, favors Dey Road, so that traffic going at 55 MPH on US-130 is forced to stop and wait, for over 1.5 minutes at times, for the Dey Road signal aspect to turn red, allowing, for maybe 10 seconds, US-130 traffic to proceed. This all started in early 2017, and after a few weeks people were running lights, making U-Turns and then Rights-on-Red to bypass the signal, and just ignoring the light, since it is obvious that whomever "maintains" the lights has it backwards - Dey Road should be the demand aspect of the signal, that is, normally US-130 should have a green, and only when there is traffic waiting on Dey should the signal change to red briefly on US-130, allowing Dey Road traffic to pass, and then quickly go back to green on US-130 so as not to impede traffic. By mid-2017, the matter was apparently corrected, but a few months later, the geniuses who apparently run the signalling either negligently or intentionally set the intersection back to favoring Dey. Apparently Cranbury and/or Middlesex DOT is/are not concerned with smooth traffic flow or safety (and the liability issues involved in the event of accidents), which results in motorists realizing the idiocy of the idiotically signalled intersection and simply ignoring the light since they know it serves no purpose, which vitiates the entire purpose of having a traffic signal there in the first place. As of January, 2019, it seems the problem has been corrected (again), and the signal favors US-130 and only stops traffic on US-130 when there is demand (a car waiting) to cross US-130 on Dey Road. Let's see how long this lasts for... Most recently observed on 03/09/2019 (that is, it remains corrected - let's see how long that lasts for...) (Still working OK as on 09/12/2019!) Moved to the/(this) corrected section on 05/10/2020 since it appears to have been fixed for good -- we hope!
  • Mercer County, Robbinsville: A signal located that JCT of US-130 and Gordon Rd transitions from green to red just before arriving at the light late at night, even when there are no cross-traffic implications, the left turn lane forces motorists to stop. Especially pernicious is that the light turns from green to red for northbound traffic on US-130 and then delays northbound traffic even more when the southbound left turn lane receives a green signal (even if no traffic is present in that turn lane). There is simply no reason for this phenomenon. Last occurred on 11/29/2011. Reported to Matt at the New Jersey Dept of Transportation on 07/05/2011. As of 06/26/2012, this traffic signal may have been corrected. Further tests will ensue but it may have finally been improved. Considered to be repaired as of 10/28/2012. But - as of May 2019, the Gordon Road signal seems to back to it's old tricks - in the middle on the night, without a single car on the road, the light stops northbound traffic on US-130 for the southbound left turning aspect, even though there are no cars turning!. So northbound cars and trucks sit by idling and polluting due to a broken traffic light which has been reported 8 years ago and apparently can't be kept in working order. Last observed: 07/14/2019; moved to the corrected section in January, 2020.
  • Somerset County, Branchburg: At the JCT of US-202 and Mill Town Rd (near the Wegmans), the traffic signal changes color for no reason. Most recent instance occurred on 02/22/2011. Seems to be corrected as of Dec, 2021 and moved to this corrected section in Jan of 2022.
  • Pennsylvania
  • Delaware County, Chester: The traffic signal at Featherbed Lane changes color for no reason on US-322 approximately three or four miles north of the JCT of US-322 and I-95, and about 2 miles south of the JCT of US-322 and US-1. US-322 is being "upgraded" to a 4 lane road with lights (it could have been a freeway but PennDOT claims locals opposed it; not sure why since it would have bypassed a number of bottlenecks and been built away from the current US-322 in many areas; the name of the road is also perhaps indicative of the construction process which seems to be taking an inordinantly long time to complete!), so perhaps the signal is temporarily timed with no sensors due to all the construction, and hopefully it will be corrected (or removed vis a vis an overpass) when the US-322 project is completed. Last observed: 01/09/2019, appears to have been corrected as of May, 2023.
  • Delaware County, Concordville: A traffic signal located at the intersection of US-322 and Evergreen Dr. changes for no reason. It only happens on the south side when driving on US-322. Most recent instance occurred on 10/04/2010. This appeared to have been corrected by Concord as of 03/15/2011. However, it happened once again on 12/14/2012. Appears to have been corrected as of May, 2023.

  • Contacting Us

    We may be reached via:

  • E-Mail: Please mail to abcwireless-notes@wirelessnotes.org , removing the first three letters of the alphabet from the name/address.
  • Web-based Interface.
  • Phone: +1 (802) 316-5000 during Business Hours.

  • Back to Main Wireless Notes Page

    Interpage NSI Main Page

    Last modified and ©: 02/18/2024