Tens of thousands of north Fulton County commuters may see their drives improve soon as Johns Creek becomes the first city in the state to deploy a new highway signal system.
The new flashing yellow left-turn signals have been found to reduce T-bone crashes and move more traffic through an intersection, according to a national study conducted for the Federal Highway Administration. The lights, which will start operating in February, will be set up at key retail spots along McGinnis Ferry and State Bridge roads where left-turn traffic sometimes backs up into the left through-lane.
The new signal carries four separate left-turn lights: a green arrow for protected turns; a new flashing yellow arrow, allowing unprotected turns; a solid yellow arrow to signal prepare to stop; and the red stoplight.
"The advantage of this is that instead of going to red, it'll go to a yellow flashing light, which means you can make your turn, but you proceed with caution, watching for oncoming traffic and pedestrians," said Tom Black, Johns Creek public works director.
The city initiated the program without state input because Johns Creek has jurisdiction over these sections of highway. The lights are sanctioned by the Federal Highway Administration.
"With the kind of traffic we get out here at certain times, we need all the help we can get," said Johns Creek resident Major Thompson. "I think it will help."
The city estimates that 23,000 vehicles per day travel on McGinnis Ferry Road, and up to 40,000 per day ride on State Bridge Road.
Resident Doug Russ said he thinks the signals will cut down on rear-end accidents in the left through-lanes.
"It makes sense to me," he said. "There are numerous examples of accidents due to overloading of those left-turn lanes."
The total tab for the six new signals will be $5,000, Black said. New signals generally run into the tens of thousands of dollars, but Johns Creek is modifying its existing signals with spare parts, he said.
It's the latest in a series of new designs and gizmos being deployed as transportation dollars dry up.
Gwinnett County is beginning work on two "diverging diamond" interchanges on Pleasant Hill Road and Jimmy Carter Boulevard at I-85. Another is planned at Ashford-Dunwoody Road and I-285 in DeKalb. The new designs are a quick fix to relieve bottlenecks that form during rush hours and will cost about $2.5 million each, a far cry from the estimated $10 million needed to replace and upgrade each overpass.
Last fall, Roswell completed north Fulton's first roundabout, an intersection design that eliminates signals altogether and allows for the free flow of traffic through busy crossroads. Since then, the designs have either popped up or are planned in Alpharetta, Decatur, Duluth, Cumming and other metro areas.
Roundabouts are initially more expensive than traffic signals -- the Roswell roundabout had a price tag of about $800,000 -- but they can win out over time because of the cost of running traffic lights.
About the Author
