Official explains flashing yellow signal

MORGANTON, N.C.,None — Three months after installing a flashing yellow left-turn signal at the intersection of North Green Street and Sanford Drive, the complaints have dropped off.

The local North Carolina Department of Transportation hasn't received complaints in the last month, said Bucky Galloway, western region field operations engineer of N.C. DOT. But that doesn't preclude on-going confusion about the flashing yellow signals.

A solid red arrow indicates no turns are allowed.

A solid yellow arrow tells motorists to prepare to stop.

A flashing yellow arrow allows for left turns, but the driver must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

A solid green arrow gives the motorists the right-of-way, but drivers should proceed with caution.

Motorists can expect to see the new style of the left-turn traffic signal in more locations, Galloway said.

There aren't any immediate plans for the signals in Morganton, he added.

But DOT is installing more of the new style of left-turn signals across the state, Galloway said.

The flashing yellow light is new, draws the driver's attention and designates caution, Galloway said. There have been crash reductions in areas since installing the new signal.

The signal allows DOT engineers to control the signal timing during different parts of the day, Galloway explained.

For example, if the intersection is prone to crashes from 7 to 8 a.m., DOT set the signal to only provide green arrows during that hour, Galloway said.

"Before we didn't have the flexibility," Galloway said. "So if we see a crash problem developing or more or less maintaining after we install the flashing yellow, then we can go back and change that."

That flexibility also allows engineers to take into consideration traffic backing up at an intersection, Galloway said.

DOT will begin collecting crash data for the intersection of North Green Street and Sanford Drive soon to see if any changes, timing or other, is needed, Galloway said.

WSOC