There is a very dangerous intersection that I drive everyday. There is a bridge that is lower than the road and with the rails on the side it creates a dangerous blind spot. I can’t believe there isn’t a light there. How does a person go about getting a traffic light installed? What are the chances of getting one istalled? The road is in Joliet, IL if it matters.
You should probably sell your intersection and start driving a car instead.
But seriously, contact the Public Works – Transportation Planning department for Joliet, IL. You should be able to get this number from City Hall. Probably the best you can do is to register your complaint or make a suggestion. Given enough suggestions from constituents and some expert analysis, one might be installed. I worked for a short time in the Public Works department in Santa Barbara, CA and we got these types of calls/letters all the time.
What Jayrot said.
Also: the engineering dept will probably do a study of the intersection and the frequency of any accidents occuring there. Signals are rather pricey so don’t be surprised if they say “no”. A signal installation must be warranted i.e. justified by the engineering study.
No more traffic lights.
Go find one that isn’t needed and have it moved.
Goulish as it may sound, if you can get a report from the police department outlining a history of accidents, the traffic department of your local Public Works will be more likely to respond. Remember, though, that they often budget five years ahead. And they often have to apply for grants to fund projects. It can slow things down.
Most traffic lights around here anyway are political. People complain enough and there will be a light. We have one in a residential area that seldom 2 cars are near each other at the same time and no reports of accidents. eventually it was changed to a flashing red but it’s still a 3 light traffic light.
You people are seriously proposing to go through Public Works?
Here’s how I’d do it here. I’d go meet out local county supervisor. I’d praise her and give her $100 for her campaign. Then I’d mention (later in the conversation) how dangerous I think the intersection in question is and that a traffic light would be a great idea. I’d mention how grateful I’d be if one got erected there.
Bingo. Traffic light.
That’s just what Public Works needs, another politician ramming something down their throat without a proper needs study. While the project down the road doesn’t get funded because it’s in the wrong part of town. I love it ~ “I’m not an engineer but …”. Blech.
Blow me. I’m not naive enough to believe that much gets done without someone taking lead.
I remember having that view before I had the pleasure of trying to get things accomplished from witihin Public Works.
Of course, a lot of what gets done depends upon the people who are there. Some PW departments are good, some are bad, and some are downright ugly.
Here we have a good department. Everybody looks out for things which go awry instead of waiting until they fall apart. I was able to accomplish a lot in spite of those wacko politicians. I did leave however, as some of it was just too much to stomach.
Down the road, it is not the case. They have potholes I swear large enough to hide my Civic in. For years they spent their infrastructure money on b.s. stuff and now the sewer mains are caving in. I’m talking about BIG mains.
So, your cynicism may be well placed from your experience, but surely you must know that things are not the same everywhere.
I would contact City Manger John Mezera, whose number can be found here.
According to this article, he, a police officer, and a public works engineer met with residents of a Joliet neighborhood just last Thursday to talk about traffic concerns.
Of course, making your concerns known is only the first step in getting a light installed. Whether it will actually happen will depend on many factors, including traffic volume, whether the danger is as great as you perceive it to be, and of course the availability of funding.
It helps if you get in an accident at the intersection.
There was a crosswalk at the peak of a hill in my home town. People coming up the hill couldn’t tell if there was someone on the crosswalk. Nothing happened after I got hit by a car there, but some family friends made a stink after their daughter was hit by a (different) car some months later, and up went a light. I suppose if I’d had the gumption to get seriously injured instead of just lightly battered, that light might have my name on it.
My fifteen minutes came calling and I wasn’t walking quickly enough to catch it. Such is life.