HEADS UP this morning when you get behind the wheel. The first day back to work after daylight-saving time always creates a few problems on the roads. For starters, what happened to the sun?
"The morning commute will be darker, so drivers can expect impaired visibility," said Martha M. Meade, AAA Mid-Atlantic manager of public and government affairs, in a statement. "If you begin your commute in the early morning, you may need to turn on your headlights as you drive to your destination. We also
Also, since the sun will be shining longer in the evening, expect to see more pedestrians, runners and cyclists on the trip home.
Dear Kelly: Now that the land is finally being cleared on U.S. 17 in Stafford for the new Wal-Mart, when will the new traffic light at Warrenton Road and Cardinal Forest Drive
--Maris Lenhart, Stafford
No word on an installation date, unfortunately. The Virginia Department of Transportation has approved the traffic signal designs and returned them to the developer installing the signal. But VDOT and Stafford County have no indication of the installation time frame.
Dear Kelly: Can you inquire about the functionality of the light at Port Conway Road on State Route 3 near King George? Too many times I have seen that light turn green, only to have a vehicle appear on Port Conway, and immediately trip the light, causing the traffic on Route 3 to stop again for a red light. The light can often turn from green to red in a span of 10 seconds. The Port Conway traffic, on the other hand, waits no time at all. They simply appear at the line and immediately gain a green light. Furthermore, the Port Conway traffic is typically only one vehicle, and the red light will remain long after it has passed through the signal. This traffic inequity cannot be a deliberate design. This misfiring on a major thoroughfare causes a waste of time, of car wear and tear, and most importantly, of gasoline.
--Vicki Crowder, Spotsylvania
"Traffic inequity." I love it. That's a great phrase.
VDOT visited this traffic signal and checked the timing and detection. It says it is operating properly.
I'm going to do my best to describe why this signal is working properly, but in the event you are confused, Shawn Beavon, a VDOT traffic-signal technician manager, has agreed to explain it over the phone. Send your contact information to fredericksburgin
Email: fo@VDOT.Vir ginia.gov, and he will follow up with you.
Here's how it was described to me by VDOT spokeswoman Tina Bundy:
When a vehicle approaches the traffic signal from Port Conway Road, that traffic will get a green signal IF there is no traffic approaching the signal on Route 3. As soon as no traffic is approaching on Route 3, Port Conway gets
Beavon sent a response to your question by e-mail. Here, he expands on Bundy's explanation.
"Each Rt. 3 approach has 2 sets of detectors installed in the pavement well in advance of the intersection to detect approaching vehicles. When a vehicle actuates these detectors, the green time is extended to provide additional time for the vehicle to clear the intersection before a signal change occurs to serve a vehicle waiting on another approach.
"The side street and left-turn approaches have detectors installed at the stop bar locations requiring them to reach the stop bars before being detected," he wrote.
"Based on the complaint, I can only surmise the writer is traveling on one of the Rt. 3 approaches and has not yet reached the detector(s) on that approach while a cross-street vehicle detector is actuated. At this point, the signal is unaware of an approaching vehicle on Rt.3 so the signal changes to serve the side-street vehicle(s)," Beavon wrote.
So, if you are too far away from the signal on Route 3 when a car hits the stop bar on Port Conway Road, yes, you will likely get a red on State Route 3. Beavon said the lengthy driver sight distance on Route 3 before the traffic signal likely makes this process more noticeable than it would
So this is not so much
Kelly Hannon is The Free Lance-Star's transportation reporter. If you have questions, send them to Getting There, c/o The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; or you may fill out the Getting There form on the Web at: fredericksburg.com.