Are traffic signals in Jefferson County coordinated to reduce or eliminate the need to stop at red lights?

Most Jefferson County traffic signals are programmed based on the time of day, the location, traffic patterns, and traffic volumes. There are many factors that can affect the design of timing plans, such as the volume of traffic on the side streets, the crossing time required for pedestrians, the distance between traffic signals, the speed limit on the main street, the total overall traffic volume, the number of turning vehicles, and the number of lanes available for each movement of traffic.

Most of Jefferson County’s traffic signals operate on three different timing plans, which include weekday AM Peak, PM Peak, and Off-Peak plans. There are also special plans for weekends. There are also some timing plans implemented for unique circumstances, like school traffic, heavy lunchtime traffic, or holiday shopping traffic.

There are numerous factors that can impact the effectiveness of traffic flow that unfortunately cannot be accounted for in the traffic signal’s programming, such as the actual speed of traffic, the acceleration patterns of motorists, variations in the volume of traffic during the timing plan, the frequency of emergency vehicle pre-emption, and the frequency of pedestrians (having pushed the button to cross) each cycle.

Show All Answers

1. What do I do when I see a dark or flashing traffic signal?
2. What happens to Jefferson County traffic signals when they lose power?
3. Who regulates traffic in Jefferson County?
4. Who builds and maintains traffic signals in Jefferson County?
5. How do traffic signals work?
6. Who maintains flashing school zone beacons?
7. How does the county decide when a traffic signal should be installed? Will a traffic signal reduce accidents at an intersection?
8. What is the purpose of cameras at signalized intersections?
9. Are traffic signals in Jefferson County coordinated to reduce or eliminate the need to stop at red lights?
10. Once a driver turns onto a street where the traffic signals are coordinated, is it correct that the driver should not have to stop?
11. Do any traffic signals not run in coordination with other traffic signals?
12. Why is there a “Walk” symbol when no pedestrians are present?
13. How do signals for pedestrians work?
14. Why do I have to wait so long to get a green light or a “Walk” signal?
15. Do emergency vehicles get priority at signalized intersections in Jefferson County?
16. Is it possible for two conflicting directions of traffic at a signalized intersection to receive green lights at the same time?
17. How does a flashing yellow left-turn arrow work?