Question: What’s up with the downtown stoplights? Why are they blinking red?

Answer:
The controller units (the working parts that turn the lights from red to yellow to green) for the lights at two of the intersections simply quit working. The parts were shot and gave out. Given the age of the  stoplights, the City can no longer buy replacement parts. We would have to buy all new controller units.

The lights at the one remaining intersection where the controller unit still worked were set to blink red so as to not confuse drivers. We had several near accidents at that intersection. People would pull up, see a red light, assume it was blinking like the others, and pull on through when they should have been waiting for a green light.

Since the City can't buy replacement controllers for the broken lights at the two intersections, we will be required to outfit the lights with new controllers for all three intersections. The estimated cost to purchase and install three brand new controller units is around $40,000. 

If State or federal funds were used to purchase the new controllers, IDOT traffic regulations would require the City to replace the existing light standards (the actual stoplight poles themselves on the concrete bases). Those new standards would be flush to the ground and equipped with break-away bases. If we would be required to do that, the cost would be approximately $75,000 per intersection.

Coupled with this situation is the fact that the City recently received a State grant to develop plans for the revitalization of downtown. These plans will include both a traffic study and designs for new streetscape features (meaning sidewalks, landscaping, seating, and lighting in public spaces downtown). The plans will include recommendations on each of the downtown intersections. These recommendations will answer questions like: How should traffic flow through our downtown? Should the downtown corners become 4-way stop sign controlled intersections, or remain stoplight controlled intersections? 

Rather than spending at least $40,000 to "fix" the lights and then having recommendations that suggest something different than stoplights, the City has decided to keep the lights blinking until the plan recommendations are known. The City will involve the public in the development of the downtown recommendations. We hope to have the plan complete by sometime in late 2012 or early 2013.