Should Stoplight Go?

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Should Stoplight Go?

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State considers removing traffic signal from intersection
Posted: 10:05 PM Aug 24, 2008
Last Updated: 1:26 PM Aug 25, 2008
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

45 comments

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Installing a stoplight at a dangerous intersection usually makes it safer, but the state of Nebraska is investigating whether a busy Sarpy County intersection would be better off if the traffic signal was removed.

Christine Krueger says the stoplight shouldn't go. “I'm really just worried that somebody's going to get hurt, there's going to be a major accident here.”

She travels Highway 50 then turns left to Highway 370 heading home from work. A stoplight has protected her turn for years, but recently the state put the south signal on flashing yellow for through traffic on 50 and blinking red for drivers coming off the 370 exit ramp.

"I believe it's too confusing," says Krueger. State engineers believe that not enough cars and trucks turn there to warrant a stoplight so the signal is flashing to study if that's true.

Krueger says a week ago a confused driver almost hit her. “I was really shaky after I got home that day and I e-mailed you immediately."

State engineers added more signs to warn approaching drivers. Stop signs now reinforce the flashing red and others signs will be added to warn that cross traffic doesn't stop. Also barrels cut the turn lane from side by side down to single file.

“You're still gonna have a safety issue with people trying to run onto 50 with traffic still coming and pull out and someone will appear out of nowhere," says Krueger.

Even with more of a warning, drivers who are used to a green or red light must now rely on their own judgment when turning in front of traffic and the new stop signs may be ignored when drivers see their chance to go.

The state will keep the lights flashing for two more months. During that time traffic will be watched and counted to determine if turns can be made safely without a stoplight.

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: To Jeff on Aug 28, 2008 at 06:25 PM
A lie? No, maybe a misconstrued interpetation of your inane ramblings. But IF I understand your point now, you are basically giving us a lesson in Drivers Ed 101 (like look both ways before crossing the street), correct? Well, I agree that drivers need to pay constant attention to their surroundings, not only the other drivers who may cross their path. While you can expound the obvious, please explain how not having this light would have saved his life. You assume that he would have noticed the danger without it when accidents happen everyday where the indivdual pulls out in front of traffic regardless. Some people can look right at a Mack truck (my mother-in-law for one) coming right at them and still pull out and get hit. And FYI; a deputy sherriff was T-boned today so no one is perfect. I disgust you? Please!

Posted by: Jeff on Aug 28, 2008 at 01:39 PM
TO "To Jeff": Please don't put words in my mouth. Why would you accuse me of thinking it's okay for a boy to die so we can learn a lesson? You disgust me. MY VIEW IS, if we let Joshua Wayland die without learning that red lights don't protect us, that will be the biggest travesty. It's an even bigger travesty than your post, which is completely moot, given that you started it with a lie. This morning I sat at a red light and watched the faces of the people turning left in front of me. Only one driver, a deputy sheriff, glanced both ways as he entered the intersection. Everyone else's gaze was fixed on where they were going. If we can learn to pay attention to others around us, not assuming everyone else is following the rules, we can save lives. That should be Joshua's legacy, to save lives, as opposed to being used in a fight over a traffic signal. But, if you want to keep your precious light so you can think you don't have to think at a green light, please think again.

Posted by: To Jeff on Aug 28, 2008 at 10:45 AM
So in your view, it's OK to let people get killed so we learn a lesson? The fact is that this incident proves just how dangerous that intersection is even with a traffic light. All measures should be taken to insure the public's safety but you would like to push the responsibility for potential deadly accidents back on the taxpaying public. Try your suggestion downtown and see how many accidents occur with insurance companies denying claims because determing fault is not possible without any way of proving which driver had the right-of-way. The semi-driver would not be punished for recklessly speeding through the intersection and killing that boy using your logic. And that (in my opinion) would be a bigger travesty than allowing the light to stay.

Posted by: Jeff on Aug 28, 2008 at 12:32 AM
A kid was recently killed just north of this intersection, because he pulled out in front of a semi on a green light. The red light did nothing to save his life. His brother saw him die. None of your complaining about this intersection will bring him back. He was right, but he still died. The fact is, if there hadn't been a light at that intersection, the kid would be alive today. Think about it. We've let traffic lights make us lazy. When a light is taken away, we whine and complain, because now we might have to stop and think. So keep your precious lights and remember your whining when the next person dies.

Posted by: Ginny on Aug 27, 2008 at 09:10 PM
I know, it's my third time commenting. But, you know....we just heard on the news tonight that an innocent student was killed and his brother is hospitalized. So, to those who say the area isn't dangerous-well, now what? And, for the comment about kids not driving safe. Sadly, this child was killed by a grown 51-year old who ran a red light. Would it really hurt to just leave the light and maybe save a life? And, yes, I drive this everyday. I have yet to see "no traffic" during rush hours. I pray for the family of these boys involved in today's accident, and also hope this proves lights don't fix everything, but they can sure help. Please, leave the light.

Posted by: Brad on Aug 27, 2008 at 04:25 PM
They should reconstruct the interchange as a SPUI (Single-point urban interchange) like on W Dodge Rd at 144th, 156th, 168th, 180th, and 204th Streets. The bridge would be pretty wide and expensive, but it would cause less delay to the traffic on N-50.

Posted by: Todd on Aug 27, 2008 at 08:15 AM
I travel thhe road daily. The light is not needed at this time or in the future. There is plenty of room to see on comming traffic to make the turn. There are plenty of other similar intersections like this that work fine without an automatic signal of any kind...

Posted by: Mike Honcho on Aug 26, 2008 at 08:01 PM
Seriously people? This is not a complicated intersection without a light. It's not needed now and never was. I drive this route everyday in peak hours and dead hours and have never had an issue or seen anyone else almost bite it there. If you really feel that it's too complicated for you, then you should probably just stay home.

Posted by: Pat on Aug 26, 2008 at 12:59 PM
My god! Some of you people act like there have been mass fatalities there. Why dont we just put stop lights at every street intersection and it will take us all 3 hrs to get home. I drive it daily, if you know what you are doing you will be fine. And to the person wondering where the "people" are counting the cars, get a clue, they use sensors and cameras for that.

Posted by: Jeff on Aug 26, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Kay, if you don't want to be hit by a rock truck or cement truck at 65 mph, don't pull in front of it. But if you're honestly that helpless, you need to campaign for stoplights at every intersection on Hwy 50, because the same danger exists at every intersection. Or do you only care about 50/370, because that's the intersection you use, and everyone else be damned?

Posted by: Kay on Aug 26, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Krueger was not almost hit - she has witnessed several near accidents there - mostly from cars turning left off of 370 to go north on 50. If an accident occurs in that type of situation the cars waiting to turn left off of 50 to go east on 370 will end up being hit by debris & vehicles as well. It doesn't matter how careful anyone is - there will always be some impatient driver who doesn't think about the safety of others that will endanger everyone. And what about the rock trucks & cement trucks that go blazing through there - does anyone want to be hit by one of those at 65 mph? For all of you that are more interested in saving time & gas - we need to put people's lives & safety as a higher priority than that. If you are hit in that intersection you will save a lot of time & gas as you are laying in the hospital or the cemetery. I know it's frustrating to wait there with no traffic coming - but I'd rather be alive & this intersection simply is not safe with the lights flashing.

Posted by: omahahan on Aug 26, 2008 at 09:17 AM
i travel use that road on a daily basis. usually turning from 370 onto hgy 50. i think that those lights are needed. yes at certain times, they are not needed (after 6 pm and before about 730 a.m.). but between those hours, there is lots of traffic that goes through that intersection, and makes it a long wait to get across. i can definitly see where an accident will happen if they remove the lights. i for one hope it stays.

Posted by: Jan on Aug 26, 2008 at 07:38 AM
The light needs to stay. I just want to know where are the people who are doing the "counting" of cars that turn there. We travel Hwy 50 twice daily and the people who are to be counting need to be there during the morning and evening drive times. Haven't seen a counter yet.

Posted by: Tom on Aug 26, 2008 at 06:16 AM
There should be signs and a 4-way stop light there. Not many people now days read the signs that are posted.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:53 PM
ANONYMOUS THEY SAID IN THE STORY THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TRAFFIC FOR STOP LIGHTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! State engineers believe that not enough cars and trucks turn there to warrant a stoplight so the signal is flashing to study if that's true.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:45 PM
You shouldn't even be commenting on this if you don't actually drive on hwy 50 every day. There is absolutely no reason to have a stop light there in the first place. A sign that says "Hwy 50 traffic does not stop Proceed with caution" should be enough to inform cars coming off of 370 to actually pay attention. Oh and Mike? The Dept of Roads takes care of roads. The Dept of Education takes care of education. A music stand??? Huh??? The light needs to go.

Posted by: Mike on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:04 PM
I travel this intersection daily. I am thrilled that the state is finally figuring out that there should be no light. When they reorganized the Hwy 50/Hwy 370 area why did they not make it with merging on/off ramps? The lights are a waste of time because there is not enough traffic. To those of you who are giving an opinion and don't use the intersection you shouldn't be commmenting, try dealing with a stupid red light at 7:30AM when there are no cars in any turn lane, or in the lanes that have a green light, it is a waste of time and it was a waste of money, but don't forget we live in Nebraska...this is the waste money and tax me more state. I'm sure that these lights will come down for about 6 months, then there will be an accident, and they will go back up...waste, waste, waste...Why can't this state actually study something worth the money....maybe they should study how much money casino's would make us instead of studying the removal of a stoplight!! Go figure.

Posted by: Bill on Aug 25, 2008 at 06:35 PM
By removing that light you are going to have many deadly car accidents, it is a FOUR LANE road!! With the bigger intersections we all are growing to see more and more, it takes longer to cross them and in this case you have two lanes to cross with double the possibilities. THAT LIGHT NEEDS TO STAY!!! I wouldn't want blood on my hands if this light is removed from all the wrecks, it is not of matter of IF but WHEN!!! Nebraska and Sarpy county need to really think this one through: 1-major highway through with a major highway exit/entrance 2-The speed limit there if I am not mistaken is 65--ask yourself how the heck anyone will be able to avoid a wreck here trying to get off the exit ramp 3-how much did the exit ramp cost me compared to the fatality rates your going to potentially have?? anyone rebut?

Posted by: HMM on Aug 25, 2008 at 03:09 PM
So if Krueger was turning left onto 370 from Hwy 50, then she is the one that should have been watching the traffic. Her turning left demands that she be the one to yield to oncoming traffic. Watch what you are doing or get off the road, Sounds like you are the one that others need to watch for if you nearly got hit to make a left hand turn.

Posted by: pete on Aug 25, 2008 at 02:52 PM
Leave the darn thing there.. I will save a life and there isn't any money value that can fix that...I think the highway dept officials has too much time on their hands.. Maybe they should cut some of the boss's jobs since they sit in their brains anyway..

Posted by: Ginny on Aug 25, 2008 at 01:34 PM
I am going to take the time to comment a second time because this intersection is a part of my daily life. For those who say, "well, it's blinking yellow. The others have a stop sign or blinking red." I say, "REALLY? try driving through there." I had a car come up to the intersection from exiting 370, and needed to turn left onto 50. I was at the light on 50, to turn left onto 370. He barely paused, and then went in front of me. And, for those who say "young drivers"? Well, I agree for some, not for all. I know plenty of young drivers who are more attentive than older drivers. And, this intersection at 5pm is NOT teenage drivers. It's 9 to 5'ers going home. I just have to hope everyone takes time and watches more closely for the safety of all of us!

Posted by: llr on Aug 25, 2008 at 12:59 PM
I think it is safer to make all traffic come to a stop when highways intersect. It eliminates endless waiting, as well as redlight runners. Spirit Lake, Iowa did this where Highways 9 and 71 intersect. There used to be stoplights at thoat intersection, but there were so many accidents due to red light runners that they have now made it a four-way stop in all directions, with a right-hand turn-only lane as well as a left-turn only lane for people wanting to go east on Hwy 71. And the people wanting to turn left to go to WalMart don't get broadsided. Maybe Sarpy County should inquire as to what they did up in Spirit Lake, if they want to eliminate the light and still keep it safe for drivers in all directions. (NOTE: the stoplight has stayed at the intersection in Spirit Lake, it just flashes red in all directions, so drivers at night who aren't familiar with the area know what to expect.)

Posted by: RM on Aug 25, 2008 at 12:24 PM
In response to Nicole many drivers in Omaha seem to think th yellow light means hurry up and go before the light changes to red.If they are not going to have a turn arrow then they should get rid of the flashing lights altogether. The state does not alwaws know what is best for the people.

Posted by: Pat on Aug 25, 2008 at 12:06 PM
It needs to go, I also work up the street and the wait to turn L onto 370 is ridiculous. Driving is not hard, if u cant judge an oncoming car's speed and distance, maybe you shouldnt be driving.

Posted by: David on Aug 25, 2008 at 11:44 AM
LEAVE THE LIGHT! Enough people do use the intersection to warrant the traffic control.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 25, 2008 at 11:25 AM
The story doesn't say WHY the state thinks it would actually make things better to remove it. So does anyone know what the reasoning behind it is?

Posted by: Mike on Aug 25, 2008 at 11:11 AM
I have to agree with the other Mike from Omaha, how much money are we spending on this? What a waste. How about the state subsidize music program in elementary school as opposed to making the parents pay for the musical instrument and the music stand? That seems like it would be a better use of my money. I drive that intersection every morning...that light has to stay there.

Posted by: Howard on Aug 25, 2008 at 09:51 AM
I had driven on 370 and Hwy 50 everytime I came to Omaha which was about every 4 months. I had driven those roads ever since they made 370 a divided Hwy. Nothing wrong in all those times. All you need to do is think and drive, and not be in such a hurry, which most younger drivers are. Concentrating on driving is becoming a thing of the past. The lights should stay and be operating normally.

Posted by: Mike on Aug 25, 2008 at 09:10 AM
So let me get this straight, Five or Six years ago it was deemed needed when it was built so tax payer dollars were spent. Now we are spending tax payer dollars on a study since someone has decided the lights are not used enough, and then we will spend more tax payer dollars to remove the light. Sounds like the government at its finest to me!

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:51 AM
How hard can this be? There are dozens of similar intersections around the western side of the city, some with lights and some without. If you know how to drive, it shouldn't matter if there is a light there or not.

Posted by: Ann on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:40 AM
I travel that route quite frequently, and removing the traffic signal would be a disaster! Even switching it to flashing yellow and red is ridiculous. If you use that intersection, you know that folks head north hellbent for leather, and they don't slow down without traffic enforcement on their side. KEEP THE LIGHTS WORKING!!! SAVE A FEW LIVES!!

Posted by: A Driver on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:39 AM
Kent, where are people stopping at red lights? The lights are flashing yellow on highway 50 so you don't need to stop. People exiting highway 370 to get onto highway 50 have a flashing red and would have to stop regardless if there was a light there or not.

Posted by: Nicole on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:36 AM
I don't see why this would be "confusing". What do you do when you come to a flashing red light? You stop. Look for traffic, then go if traffic allows. What do you do when you come to a flashing yellow light? you proceed with caution. What is so confusing about this Krugeger? Do we need to go back to drivers ed 101.

Posted by: T on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:20 AM
Douglas and Sarpy County traffic engineers have never seen a stoplight they didn't like. They bow to developers too often to permit curb cuts to permit turns into shopping centers and subdivisions, when they should be demanding less exits off of main streeps and more access roads - Center (102nd to 150th), Dodge (UNO to 96th)and Maple (128th to 180th) are classic exampts of this folly.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:20 AM
Leave the light there. It only makes sense.

Posted by: Ginny on Aug 25, 2008 at 08:03 AM
I drive through this light every day. Bad enough, people used to run it red, now we take our lives in our hands to try to turn left on to 370. Of all the "useless" lights, I totally disagree with this one being removed. Shouldn't public safety be the #1 concern, not how many cars go through it each day? WOW! Who came up with the brilliant idea that this light should be removed?!?!

Posted by: Jerry on Aug 25, 2008 at 06:56 AM
There's too much traffic at 60mph . The NDORks need to turn the traffic lights back on.

Posted by: duh on Aug 25, 2008 at 04:54 AM
Learn how to drive instead of screwing with stuff.

Posted by: Danielle on Aug 25, 2008 at 04:52 AM
I travel this area daily and am thrilled the light is gone. I used to sit there endlessly with NO traffic. It's not rocket science-if a car is coming, I now wait. Duh,

Posted by: Paul on Aug 25, 2008 at 12:48 AM
I drive this intersection everyday back and forth from work.There is not enough traffic to warrant the traffic signal to work n either direction.The state is doing the right thing by eliminating this traffic signal.

Posted by: Kent on Aug 24, 2008 at 11:42 PM
Steve has gotten used to the gas and time he's losing sitting at red lights. We might as well leave the lights as they were, because Steve would rather waste his time and money.

Posted by: Anonymous on Aug 24, 2008 at 10:28 PM
Maybe people should learn how to drive instead of blaming someone else.

Posted by: garry on Aug 24, 2008 at 10:22 PM
"drivers who are used to a green or red light must now rely on their own judgment when turning in front of traffic" - Heaven forbid we ask drivers to think & drive

Posted by: Steve on Aug 24, 2008 at 09:23 PM
What's wrong with just leaving the light? It's been there so long that people are used to it. Just leave it.