A new traffic light is about to go live at a dangerous Waterloo intersection. I offer one suggest to help.

You may have seen the temporary lights that were hung over the Greenhill Road and Progress Avenue intersection. According to the City of Waterloo, the traffic signals will be fully operation on Monday, July 31st. The goal is to help minimize traffic accidents at this dangerous intersection.

(Google Maps)
(Google Maps)
loading...

According to a press release from city hall, the lights were supposed to begin flashing on Monday, but I drove through that intersection this morning (July 25), and the lights were not flashing yet, but I would suspect that they will very soon. This is not the only traffic light project that is on the forefront for the city.

I read in the Waterloo Courier that the city also applied for a $500,000 state grant to improve another crash-prone intersection (read more). They will begin taking bids for improvements at Ansborough Avenue and Martin Road in August.

There is already a traffic light there, but it is still considered an accident-prone intersection. I;m not sure what they are planning, but I have a suggestion from something that I saw the City of Cedar Falls did.

Cedar Falls recently altered the traffic flow at the intersection of Greenhill Road and Rownd Street. As you approach that intersection, traffic is forced from two lanes to one lane with a left-turn only lane now in the left lane.

Greenhill Road & Rownd Street (Photo: Bucky Doren)
Greenhill Road & Rownd Street (Photo: Bucky Doren)
loading...

To help traffic to see the new path, they used reflectors to guide traffic. After experiencing a few near misses at that intersection, I think this is a great safety move.

What ever the council decides, I hope it is easier to understand than the Park Avenue/Bike Lane experiment currently underway in downtown Waterloo.

Park Avenue (Photo: Bucky Doren)
Park Avenue (Photo: Bucky Doren)
loading...

I love the idea of adding a bike lane, but the criss-crossing path for the bikes, and parking not on the curb has several still confused as to where they should be driving. The fact that a week later the lines are still completely painted on part of Park Avenue (between Sycamore Street & Franklin Street) just adds to the confusing.

I'm still seeing cars park against the curb, despite the bike lane clearly marked in that section. I've even seen a city vehicle or two driving over the new parking lane.

More From K92.3