A surprisingly simple move could speed up your wait time at stoplights across the city. Am I the only one who has noticed this problem?
Regardless of how you feel about bike lanes and “road diets“, we can all agree Kalamazoo drivers are a breed all their own, right?
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I’ve spent many a therapy session griping about the stresses of driving anywhere in Kalamazoo, but especially downtown. Honestly, I don’t even drive through downtown in the mornings anymore, between the trains stuck for 45 minutes and the wait time for the bike lane lights, that’s not the energy I want to begin my day with.
You’ve probably noticed more and more drivers across town treating red stoplights as a mere suggestion rather than what it is– the law— but a trend I’ve recently observed which boggles my mind is:
Why are drivers failing to pull up to the solid white stop line?
I’m genuinely confused. I know in the winter months drivers are advised to leave a bigger gap between cars when weather is bad and roads may be slushy, affecting your ability to stop. I guess it could be a good idea to leave a little buffer zone if you’re the first car waiting at the light ahead of a major intersection. That way if a car comes up from behind and can’t stop, at least you won’t be pushed into traffic and harm’s way.
But, you know that means you’re probably not triggering the sensor for the light to change– right?
I just had to file a report with the City of Kalamazoo for an unrelated light timing issue (Rambling Road/Stadium Drive) and in their online form it specifically says,
Many intersections use video detection systems for traffic control (cameras that trigger when a vehicle approaches) …Please ensure your vehicle’s front bumper is stopped just behind the stop bar when approaching an intersection. Vehicles stopped too far away from the stop bar may not be detected/trigger a green light.…