Traffic Signals
The City maintains 174 traffic signals and 18 pedestrian crossing signals. Traffic signals are operated through fiber optic software that communicates with the signals, signal cabinets, and the Traffic Operations Center located at the City Services Center. dd
Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons
Often found mid-block, these signals remain dark until activated by a pedestrian.
How Do They Work?
- A pedestrian presses the button and waits for the lights to activate.
- The signal turns yellow, and then turns solid red to alert drivers to come to a full stop. Pedestrians can cross once traffic has come to a stop.
- The solid red transitions to flashing red; drivers come to a stop and then proceed if the crosswalk is clear.
Benefits:
- Increase motorists’ attention
- Can reduce pedestrian crashes by 69 percent, according to Federal Highway Administration
- Eliminates driver delay
- More economical than traditional traffic signals
Where to Find Them:
- 42nd Street NE
- C Avenue NE
- Oakland Road NE
- Mount Vernon Road SE
- 6th Street SW
- 76th Avenue SW
- 1st Avenue W
Flashing Yellow Left-Turn Arrow
The Federal Highway Administration recently adopted the flashing yellow arrow as a way to improve safety for drivers attempting to make left turns at a signalized intersection.
How Do They Work?
- Drivers turning left see a flashing yellow arrow;
- After yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, the driver turns left.
- Oncoming traffic has a green light.
Benefits:
- The signal has been shown to reduce crashes;
- Drivers find the flashing yellow arrow to be more understandable and intuitive than the traditional yield-on-green indications.
- The yellow caution color and the flashing of the light helps catch drivers’ attention, making them more aware of oncoming traffic and the need to yield before proceeding.
Accessible Pedestrian Signals
Designed specifically to support persons with visual impairment, Accessible Pedestrian Signals come equipped with locator tones and speech walk messages to give an individual audible cues that let them know when the signal has changed and it’s safe to cross the street.
Features of the signals include:
- Speakers
- Locator tone
- Textured push-button directional arrow
- Street name written in Braille
- Automatic volume adjustment
Where to find them:
The City is updating to Accessible Pedestrian Signals whenever signal replacement is required or new signals are added as part of construction. You can currently find Accessible Pedestrian Signals at:
- 1st Ave E at 3rd St, 7th St, 8th St, 10th St, 38th St, and 40th Street E
- 1st Ave E at Coe Rd/12th St, Cottage Grove Ave/21st St, 27th St, 29th St, and 32nd St E
- 2nd Ave SE at 10th St SE
- 3rd Ave SE at 7th St SE, 8th St SE, and 10th St SE
- 4th Ave SE at 10th St SE
- 8th Ave SE at 7th St SE
- 10th St SE at 5th Ave SE
- 8th Ave SW at 6th St SW
- 16th Ave SW at 18th St SW
- 6th St SW at 3rd Ave SW
- 6th St SW at 60th Ave SW, 33rd Ave SW, and Wilson Ave SW
- 29th St NE at I-380 Northbound Ramps
- 32nd St NE at I-380 Southbound Ramps, and I-380 Northbound Ramps
- Blairs Ferry Rd NE at Target Entrance
- Blairs Ferry Rd NE at Edgewood Rd NE
- C Ave NE at Brentwood Dr NE, and Rockwelll Collins entrance
- Center Point Rd NE at 32nd St NE, and 29th St NE
- Collins Rd NE at C Ave NE, and Lindale Drive NE
- Collins Rd NE at Twixt Town Rd NE
- Council St NE at 51st St NE
- Edgewood Rd NW/NE at E Ave NW, F Ave NW, O Ave NW, Ellis Blvd NW, and Town Center Way NE
- Edgewood Rd SW at Edgewood Pkwy SW
- Edgewood Rd SW at Wilson Ave SW, and Williams Blvd SW
- Kirkwood Blvd SW at 66th St SW
- Mt .Vernon Rd SE at E Post Rd SE, Memorial Dr SE , 38th St SE , 40th St SE, and 42nd St SE
- Wiley Blvd SW at 31st St SW
- Williams Blvd SW at Wiley Blvd SW, Westdale Dr SW, Wilson Ave SW, and Trent St SW
Leading Pedestrian Interval
- Low-cost adjustments to signal timing to increase pedestrian safety at signalized intersections.
- Gives pedestrians a 3- to 7-second head start before vehicles in the parallel direction are given the green signal indication
- Helps reduce conflicts between pedestrians and left- or right- turning vehicles.
- Positions the pedestrian within the crosswalk, decreasing the likelihood of a conflict or crash with a left- or right-turning vehicle ahead of the turning traffic.
Report a Malfunctioning Signal
- Submit via MyCR
- Call Traffic Engineering at (319) 286-5176
- After Hours Emergency: Call Police Department Dispatch at (319) 286-5491
