Since the U.S. 64 Bypass opened this year, traffic on U.S. 64 Business has slowed to a trickle. But, the lights are still programmed for the old traffic volume, and the light cycle favors the main highway over the side streets.
"This is one of most horrible lights in Raleigh," driver Donny Massey said.
WRAL timed several lights and found that drivers who turned onto U.S. 64 Business from Hedingham Boulevard had 10 seconds to get through the green light and then four seconds for the yellow light. That was after drivers waited for more than two minutes for the red light to turn green.
During peak hours, the longest cycle for some lights on U.S. 64 Business was four minutes.
"For us, it creates a hazard because we're trying to do business here and people just race through our parking lot to go east on 64," business owner Chuck Watson said. "We have a propane tank here, so if you get somebody that just goes nuts one time, they'll wipe out the whole block."
Engineers with the state Department of Transportation said they hoped to have most of the lights on U.S. 64 Business retimed by Thanksgiving. They also said they would do another traffic survey and possibly retime the U.S. 64 Business lights again at some point early next year.
They added that the New Hope Road interchange on the 64 Bypass will not open until late December.
Reporter:
Mark Roberts
Photographer:
Terry Cantrell
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