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Lights that have a mind of their own

 

Tuesday morning. 7 a.m.

I am eastbound on 15th Avenue, approaching Ospika Boulevard.

There are no vehicles in the eastbound lanes ahead of me at the light (currently red), including in the left-turn lane.

As I near the light, it changes to green – including the still-vacant turn lane.

Meanwhile, the westbound through traffic on the other side of the intersection is still facing a red light.

No, I have no idea how that happens, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen it at that intersection. Frequently, I’m one of the vehicles in the westbound lanes, wondering why we didn’t get a light when there is no one in the opposing left-turn lane.

What’s even stranger is if there is a vehicle in the westbound turn lane, but not the eastbound turn lane. They will both get their green lights for the turn, but the eastbound lane, the one where there are no vehicles, will get a longer turn light than the westbound lane, where there are vehicles.

It doesn’t make any sense to me, and the only explanation I have is something to do with the weather and snow and moisture playing tricks with the sensing device in the eastbound turn lane.

Either that or gremlins.

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