FORT COLLINS, Colorado – Fred from Fort Collins writes: “What’s driving you crazy? I can’t figure out the traffic light at the intersection of Conifer and College. When you approach the intersection from the west, the arrows usually flash yellow when the light changes. I’ve seen it just turn green before, but I can’t figure out under what circumstances it ‘decides’ that. A few other intersections up here are like that too.”
This intersection north of downtown Fort Collins is a T-intersection, meaning it has only three entrances. Because drivers on westbound Conifer Street must turn right or left when they reach College Avenue, the city has installed turn arrows for southbound drivers and a typical red/yellow/green signal for northbound drivers. Drivers turning left will usually see a flashing yellow arrow. This signal indicates that drivers can turn left but must always yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
The city installed the green left arrows because some people crossing the street don’t always press the crosswalk button, said Fort Collins traffic engineer Tyler Stamey. That’s why the signal function is changing. When someone presses the crosswalk button, drivers will see a red turn arrow during the pedestrian crossing phase. This prevents conflicts between turning vehicles and pedestrians. After the pedestrian phase is complete, when the crossing timer reaches zero, the green left turn arrows will be displayed. This lets drivers who have been waiting to turn left know that they have not been forgotten and do not have to wait until the next signal cycle.
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In addition, the green arrows are occasionally displayed when there is a long traffic jam or sustained westbound left-turn traffic on Conifer Street and there is light traffic on College Avenue.
Regardless of what applies to left-turning drivers, right-turning drivers will see a conventional signal with a conventional green light indicating they may turn right. Right-turning drivers may also turn right on red, but must yield to any northbound driver on College Avenue.
Can you help me understand the traffic lights at the corner of Conifer and College?
Denver7 traffic expert Jayson Luber has been covering traffic in the Denver metropolis since Ben Hur drove a chariot. (We believe it’s actually been over 25 years.) He’s obsessed with telling viewers what’s happening on their commute and how to best avoid the problems that arise. Follow him on Facebook, Þjórsárden or Instagram or listen to his award-winning podcast “Driving You Crazy” on any podcast app, including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbeanor YouTube.
