Jess and Jim from Denver write, “What’s driving you crazy? There is a stop light at Martin Luther King and Elizabeth. My husband and I hit this light everyday, twice a day. This light makes no sense due to the houses and median. We would love to hear your opinion. Thank you for all you do!”
According to the city, that mid-block light has several main functions — to break up traffic flow, to slow down drivers, to allow for downstream gaps for turning drivers and, maybe number one, allow for pedestrians to cross the street. The City of Denver calls these kinds of signals “speed gaps” or “pacing signals” and you will find them on all kinds of one-way roads around Denver.
That specific gap signal that stops traffic on both sides of MLK Jr. Boulevard at N. Elizabeth Street is over 20 years old. They city couldn’t tell me confidently what the original reason was for the initial installation but did say this pedestrian crossing is helpful for people crossing the street going to or from the adjacent neighborhoods, Columbine Elementary School and PREP Academy just three blocks away…