Is it just me or has there been an uptick in red light runners in Bryan-College Station these days? In Villa Maria and Texas specifically by the time you get a green left arrow, there are STILL cars turning left from the other lane long after the light turned red. It's become a consistent problem and I don't see a single cop at that intersection pulling people over.

It's almost making me think of the days when we had red light cameras in College Station, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was an Arizona-based company that had those funds leaving the community, Proposition 1 and Keep College Station Safe would've succeeded in November 2009.

I voted for the referendum to have those removed and it didn't have anything to do with where the money went.

It was because there was no proof of who was driving, no officer interaction, no ability to face the accuser in court, and almost impossible to have it overturned.
Those cameras were not consistent and I don't know how often they were reviewed by a live person. People would get them for going through an intersection on green and it would be set off by someone running a light that was two or three vehicles back.

Those should have been gone. Where the money went didn't matter.

PS3D said:

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Is it just me or has there been an uptick in red light runners in Bryan-College Station these days? In Villa Maria and Texas specifically by the time you get a green left arrow, there are STILL cars turning left from the other lane long after the light turned red. It's become a consistent problem and I don't see a single cop at that intersection pulling people over.

It's almost making me think of the days when we had red light cameras in College Station, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was an Arizona-based company that had those funds leaving the community, Proposition 1 and Keep College Station Safe would've succeeded in November 2009.

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I am not against the cameras unless the company that installs them insists on shortening the timing of the green-yellow-red cycle (see the last time CoCS experimented with red-light cameras). The main idea should be to clear the intersection safely and not to catch "runners" for profit.

It's gotten absolutely ridiculous. I don't know that it's B/CS specific because I've noticed it other places too, but it's out of control.

It shouldn't be that hard with 2025 technology to implement a common-sense based red light ticketing system.

If people would get off their damn phones and just go when the light turns green, people wouldn't have to run the red to make a turn in this town!

That being said, it's not just here. People everywhere are in such a hurry they run red's regularly.

Im not sure about Bryan but I doubt cspd or tamu cops need to pay attention to red lights with 2818 being 45 mph. They can duel for the most speeding tickets on a wide open road. I would love to know how long that is going to last.

merc said:

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Im not sure about Bryan but I doubt cspd or tamu cops need to pay attention to red lights with 2818 being 45 mph. They can duel for the most speeding tickets on a wide open road. I would love to know how long that is going to last.

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I would post the "FOR-EV-ER" gif from The Sandlot but humor is not welcome on this board.

It's about that time for all the incoming freshmen to hit town and drive lost everywhere.

Its not just red lights, more people are intentionally doing all kinds of bad things in traffic. I partially blame it on frustration in dealing with the increased micromanagement of traffic.

You've been at work all day, just got done picking one kid up from dance class, you just need to make a left to quickly be on your way home. But you can't. Frustrated, you make three rights to get to a light. Then once there, you wait through one cycle, your frustration rises because a few years ago you would already be home by now. The light turns green again but then yellow. You could stop but you're just done with the whole process so you gun it.

Or, you've been caught by 5 red lights in a 3 mile stretch of road that shouldn't even have more than 2 lights to start with.

Same thing we're seeing with people doing unsafe U'turns where they never would have before. The more you try to contain and control people, the more you're going to see them rebel against it.

CS78 said:

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Its not just red lights, more people are intentionally doing all kinds of bad things in traffic. I partially blame it on frustration in dealing with the increased micromanagement of traffic.

You've been at work all day, just got done picking one kid up from dance class, you just need to make a left to quickly be on your way home. But you can't. Frustrated, you make three rights to get to a light. Then once there, you wait through one cycle, your frustration rises because a few years ago you would already be home by now. The light turns green again but then yellow. You could stop but you're just done with the whole process so you gun it.

Or, you've been caught by 5 red lights in a 3 mile stretch of road that shouldn't even have more than 2 lights to start with.

Same thing we're seeing with people doing unsafe U'turns where they never would have before. The more you try to contain and control people, the more you're going to see them rebel against it.

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Long live the Empire!

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Its not just red lights, more people are intentionally doing all kinds of bad things in traffic. I partially blame it on frustration in dealing with the increased micromanagement of traffic.

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I agree with your first sentence 100%. But I blame it on impatience and an increasingly inflated sense of self-importance/lack of empathy for anyone else on the road.

I also agree with poster saying people should get off their damn phones and drive. Lost too many friends to this.

In one trip from my office, to town, and back last week: 1. Middle aged man with Association of Former Students sticker came to complete stop at a green arrow onto hwy 6 feeder until I honked at him. He remained glued to his phone until we parted ways when I turned off on Southwest. 2. Now at SW and Texas, light turned green and the girl in front of me just sat there. I don't even think she was on her phone, just completely out of it. 3. Hwy 6 and University - light turned green and the oncoming traffic that had previously had a protected left just kept coming.

1. People are morons.

2. Moronic people have more distractions, primarily phones.

3. Moronic people that likely aren't even doing anything important think their time is more valuable that everyone else's, and will even risk causing collisions to save themselves a few seconds.

I also think the traffic frustration as described in an above post is also accurate.

I was against the cameras because:

• An AZ company came in and sold the city a pre-written ordinance with an attached revenue stream and the city bit hook line and sinker to the detriment of the citizens.
• The ordinance created a civil infraction instead of criminal, which reduced the burden of proof from beyond a reasonable doubt to a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not).
• The nature of the ordinance meant you could not face your accuser.
• The money for the violations was now split with that corporation instead of all going back into the city.
• It was impossible to appeal past a certain point because of the nature of the ordinance.
• In order to argue you were not driving you were forced to name the person that was driving.
• Instead of our officers reviewing the tapes, the company was providing services to review them.
• Once the voters made their will known and the initiative passed, a citizen represented by the legal team of the AZ-based company sued to overturn the initiative on technicalities. The city liked this plan and mounted the stellar defense against the suit of simply agreeing with the plaintiff that the initiative was invalid. Fortunately, the judge took note of the sham and told them to figure it out outside the courtroom. The city will write the AG for an opinion to withhold body cam footage, but to defend a vote of the citizens they will just concede. By the people, for the people right?

Is trust possible? A lot of repair is long overdue.

All of this is "as I recall." Obviously, it has been a minute.

doubledog said:

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PS3D said:

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Is it just me or has there been an uptick in red light runners in Bryan-College Station these days? In Villa Maria and Texas specifically by the time you get a green left arrow, there are STILL cars turning left from the other lane long after the light turned red. It's become a consistent problem and I don't see a single cop at that intersection pulling people over.

It's almost making me think of the days when we had red light cameras in College Station, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was an Arizona-based company that had those funds leaving the community, Proposition 1 and Keep College Station Safe would've succeeded in November 2009.

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I am not against the cameras unless the company that installs them insists on shortening the timing of the green-yellow-red cycle (see the last time CoCS experimented with red-light cameras). The main idea should be to clear the intersection safely and not to catch "runners" for profit.

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If we don't have the option fo going to court to protest a red light camera fee, I am totally against it, In the U.S. we should have the right to appear in front of our accuser in court and debate our case,

When I taught my kids to drive, I taught them to count to three, one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three before entering an intersection on a green light, It has work for decades,

The worst part is this time of year is the best this town gets as far as drivers go.

Ya'll crack me up! Debating red-light cameras when they have been outlawed by the State of Texas since 2019. Some cities still have them only because their contracts have not ended, but you don't actually have to pay the tickets. There is no way to legally enforce them because red-light cameras are illegal now. Fun fact, the cities did here make a TON of money off them and it was good for the city's bottom line to be able to put money back into the City's fund.

As for the "micromanagement" of traffic...CS traffic is not that bad. Go to SA, Austin, or Houston and you'll see bad traffic.

Some of the signals have built in all-red phases on the signal timings to prevent crashes by red-light runners. But it in a way actually promotes running red-lights. There is a serious problem with red-light running here in B/CS though, and I think it is just part of the culture or ingrained into the local society that it is OK to run a red-light. No cop...no stop.

It's also pretty funny reading why its OK to break the law, just because you're tired or running behind schedule, or because you didn't plan your day better and your trip is more important that everyone else's. Traffic here is pretty consistent. When you start seeing traffic back up for no reason, then that is reason to be upset. If traffic is backed up because there are just too many damn people, only so much can be done with the traffic signals. It is possible to overwhelm a system that was never designed for the astronomical growth that we have here due to the university's unregulated acceptance rates. Thank you Texas A&M.

Again, TA never disappoints!

Tell me you're the traffic engineer for College Station without telling me you're the traffic engineer for College Station.

It would also be nice if some of the major streets allowed more than three cars through on a left turn signal.

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...and if anyone wonders why people with real answers don't spend time explaining things in this echo chamber...except for Councilman Yancey of course...here's why.

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If a light-hearted, obvious joke does a poster in, then they're here to pontificate not discuss.

Fire has a great point about red light cameras and is absolutely correct about red-light running being a thing here. I used to be staunchly against squeezing through yellows but have caught myself giving in to the temptation more recently. There's a lot I could blame it on (frustration with construction and bad "improvements" being one) but it is something I need to be better about.

And yet, blaming A&M and reminding us it's not as bad as it could be is of little use, even if he's right. Neither the the blame game nor being better than terrible is what we want.

I didn't discredit his post. I just find it funny when people get on discussion boards and make comments about what should or shouldn't be discussed.

Or, as in your case, how they should be discussed.

Stupe said:

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I voted for the referendum to have those removed and it didn't have anything to do with where the money went.

It was because there was no proof of who was driving, no officer interaction, no ability to face the accuser in court, and almost impossible to have it overturned.
Those cameras were not consistent and I don't know how often they were reviewed by a live person. People would get them for going through an intersection on green and it would be set off by someone running a light that was two or three vehicles back.

Those should have been gone. Where the money went didn't matter.

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It was 52-48, the out of state ownership and control (IIRC they picked the intersections, not the city) ABSOLUTELY moved the needle. Maybe it didn't matter to YOU personally but that was a significant factor in how close the polls were.

doubledog said:

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I am not against the cameras unless the company that installs them insists on shortening the timing of the green-yellow-red cycle (see the last time CoCS experimented with red-light cameras). The main idea should be to clear the intersection safely and not to catch "runners" for profit.

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Don't you mean LENGTHENING the yellow lights? Shortening the yellow lights is dangerous and illegal, yet cities have been caught shortening the lights (this article is from 2008, there are others--Baytown was caught in 2009).

CS78 said:

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Its not just red lights, more people are intentionally doing all kinds of bad things in traffic. I partially blame it on frustration in dealing with the increased micromanagement of traffic.

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The medians are a huge issue on Texas Avenue but the red-light runners I've absorbed all turn left, not making U-turns.

Aggie_Fire said:

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Some of the signals have built in all-red phases on the signal timings to prevent crashes by red-light runners. But it in a way actually promotes running red-lights. There is a serious problem with red-light running here in B/CS though, and I think it is just part of the culture or ingrained into the local society that it is OK to run a red-light. No cop...no stop.

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The way the existing set-up works is safe. Green arrow, yellow arrow, red arrow, maybe a second or two of all red, green arrow and light for next set. Unfortunately, there still are multiple cars going into the intersection even when it's the green arrow for the opposing traffic. Adding in an arbitrary all-red benefits no one except for red-light runners.

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If traffic is backed up because there are just too many damn people, only so much can be done with the traffic signals. It is possible to overwhelm a system that was never designed for the astronomical growth that we have here due to the university's unregulated acceptance rates. Thank you Texas A&M.

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A lot of that is because of an inadequate road network, Texas Avenue is really the only full north-south road we have. A&M won't let roads go through campus and attempts to build any major thoroughfare (or minor one, for that matter) always has a stink raised over it, whether it's an established neighborhood or rural. (East Loop is the most recent example, but there have been multiple attempts to widen or make vital connections through smaller streets, all of which have stomped on over the years).

PS3D said:

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doubledog said:

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I am not against the cameras unless the company that installs them insists on shortening the timing of the green-yellow-red cycle (see the last time CoCS experimented with red-light cameras). The main idea should be to clear the intersection safely and not to catch "runners" for profit.

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Don't you mean LENGTHENING the yellow lights? Shortening the yellow lights is dangerous and illegal, yet cities have been caught shortening the lights (this article is from 2008, there are others--Baytown was caught in 2009).

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Read my post again. The RED LIGHT company insisted on shortening the yellow to red cycle to catch more red light runners.

Aggie_Fire said:

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chickencoupe16 said:

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Tell me you're the traffic engineer for College Station without telling me you're the traffic engineer for College Station.

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Ha! I'm just a guy who knows a thing or two about traffic and loves CS, because I know how good we have it here.

You'd be surprised how many traffic engineers there are in this town. Literally some of the best traffic engineers in the world work here at TAMU

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Traffic management in 5his town makes zero sense. The comment about A&M contributing to the issue makes with them killing off most all traffic through campus. Why some lights have the flashing left yellow turn lane in areas an others don't amaze me. Timing cycles on lights vary at every intersection in this city as well the idea is for traffic to flow smoothly and safely through a city. Round a bouts, medians and divergent lanes are a bit much for a town of this size. It seems like BCS is a play ground for traffic engineer to implement ideas to see if they work or don't.

Since we have so much money to burn we should spend some on adaptive signaling.

Some examples of what adaptive signaling can do:

• Don't flip the light because of one driver that is turning right on red.
• Automatically shorten or lengthen cycles based on lopsided traffic (pedestrians, congestion, construction, accidents, etc).
• Switch to flashing when traffic is light.
• Automatic coordination with surrounding adaptive signals to optimize timing in changing traffic conditions.

It is basically like having a cop manually directing traffic at every intersection, all the time, except they are also all synchronized.

I'm not a traffic engineer and this isn't related to running red lights but I think my best example of something that shouldn't work, but does, is that during peak traffic times on southbound Wellborn by campus I've seen people turn left at Old Main, cut through by the Cain Garage to Joe Routt and turn left to get back on Wellborn and come out ahead.

There's just no way that if traffic flow were being optimized that that would work.