Readers not happy with city traffic lights
MOST Toowoomba motorists would have felt frustration at some point while waiting at city traffic lights.
Sometimes it’s waiting (for what seems like forever) for the lights to change or the annoyance at a lack of turning arrows.
The Chronicle asked its readers where was the worst set of traffic lights in Toowoomba and there was a common denominator in a majority of answers. James St.
If you need to get somewhere in Toowoomba, it seems residents try and avoid James St. Not only is it always filled with trucks, motorists are also unhappy with several sets of lights along the street.
The James and Hume Sts intersection was the most popular answer because of the lack of turning arrows.
Bruce Steel said: “Need arrows and turning lanes at James and Hume Sts. It is a ridiculous bottleneck that causes traffic chaos and unnecessary lane changes that increase the risk of accidents.”
Albert Allerton said: “James and Hume is the worst. Turning arrows anyone?”
Jon Albiez nominated James and Hume Sts because of “lack of turning arrows” and Kahleigh Morgan agreed: “It needs to be changed badly. It’s deadly.”
Elizabeth Joan Marcus said: “All of Toowoomba lights are the worst. But I find James St and Hume St near Sizzlers takes that long to get through. Then the lights turn green nobody wants to move.”
But it wasn’t just James and Hume Sts that was named as an issue. Others said they avoided James St at the intersection of Anzac Ave, West St and where is turns onto Tor St.
The infamous intersection at Ruthven and Margaret Sts also got a mention by several people with George Helon referring to it as a “circus”.
As well, ever since the upgrade to Neil St, making it two-ways, motorists have discovered it takes longer to get from one end of the street to the other.
Andrew Civil said: “Ever since Russell, Neil and Victoria Sts have become two-way all the intersecting lights at Herries and Margaret Sts have more sequences so hence the whole flow of traffic is slowed down and these streets take half the amount of traffic they used to. But Neil and Russell lights take the prize as timing is set totally wrong.”
Badden Thompson also agreed that the “new setup at Neil and Herries St” was frustrating.
Another reader said the lights at the intersection should alternate faster.
“Too much time is given to those on Herries St. Neil St traffic, especially going north, banks up and sometimes no one gets across because a pedestrian is walking over Herries and cars can’t turn. More frequent switches in all directions would help.”