LIGHT AT LEXINGTON ACTIVATED BY TRAFFIC

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department says there is no problem with the new traffic signals at intersection of the North Kingshighway, Mt. Auburn and Lexington. The problem actually rests with the motorists.

Since the traffic-activated signals were turned on earlier this month, the highway department and Cape Girardeau Police have received numerous calls from motorists who say the signals are not working properly because they cannot get a left turn green signal to turn off Mt. Auburn, Lexington or North Kingshighway.

But Bob Wilson, resident engineer at Jackson for the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department's District 10 office at Sikeston, said drivers are not getting a green signal because they have run past the white stop bar in the traffic lanes.

"The white stop bars on the pavement are there for a reason," said Wilson. "They indicate where motorists must stop to activate the signals. If they drive past the white bar, the light will not change unless another vehicle pulls up behind them and activates the signal." Also, Missouri law says motorists must stop behind the white line or stop bar where they are located at intersections.

Wilson said a 30-foot-long "sensor" wire loop is buried in each left turn and through-traffic lane at all traffic-activated signal intersections. The loop extends 30 feet back from the stop bar. "When a vehicle pulls up to the stop bar, the loop "senses" the vehicle and sends a signal to the central processing unit, which trips switches that change the signal to green. If you drive past white stop bar, the loop does not detect your car and the light will not change," he explained.

Wilson said most of the complaints come from motorists trying to make a left turn onto North Kingshighway from Mt. Auburn. "The stop bar in that lane is set back quite a ways from the intersection so left turn traffic off of North Kingshighway will have plenty of room to clear traffic waiting in the left turn lane on Mt. Auburn," he said. "Apparently, drivers are either not paying attention and drive past the stop bar, or are not aware they must stop behind the white bar to get a green signal."

Wilson said all of the signals at intersections on North Kingshighway, and those on William Street, (Route K) west to the Wal-Mart superstore, are activated by traffic. The exception is the intersection of Route K and Silver Springs Road, which has timed signals. "We also have traffic-activated signals at William and South West End Boulevard," he added.

Wilson said if motorists stop behind the white stop bar at all of these intersections, they shouldn't have any problem getting a green light.

Although all traffic signals owned by the city of Cape Girardeau are time-activated, Sgt. Al Moore of the Cape Girardeau Police Department says motorists must still stop behind the white stop bar at these intersections.

"At some of the major signalized intersections in the city, we've moved the stop bar back from the intersection so school buses, trucks and semi-trucks have room to make their turn. If a motorist goes past the white stop bar at one of these intersections, it creates a hazard for the bus or truck trying to make a left turn," he said.

Moore said a particularly critical intersection is at South Sprigg and Morgan Oak, where school buses and large trucks must make a right turn to go east on Morgan Oak toward the bridge.

"We've set the stop bar in the left turn lane in the westbound lane of Morgan Oak back far enough to give the buses and trucks enough space to make the right turn onto Morgan Oak from Sprigg. However, if a motorist doesn't stay behind the white stop bar on Morgan Oak, it's very difficult for the trucks to make the turn safely."