Does Fairfield Have Too Many Red Lights?

If you’re frustrated with the red light situation in Fairfield, you are in good company.

While stop lights are one of the necessary evils of commuting, they don’t guarantee safety for pedestrians or cooperation from drivers.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, red-light running is the number one cause of urban crashes. Furthermore in 2013, approximately 127,000 people were injured in red-light related accidents.

In August 2015, the National Coalition for Safer Roads released an interactive safety map that would allow users to see the number of red-light running deaths in their area as part of the group’s ‘Stop on Red’ initiative.

At Patch, we appreciate that our readers and motorists know the stop lights in Fairfield best. We asked you on Facebook how you felt about the red lights in our area. Could Fairfield use more red lights? Are there too many? What intersections need a stop light, or can get rid of one?

Here’s what readers said on social media:

- " Too many. The light in front of the Recreation Dept causes WAY too much traffic. It was backed up past 95 yesterday at 4 pm!"

- "The number of lights are fine, but the number of stop signs in some areas are too many"

- "Could probably take the light next to the shell gas station on black rock turnpike and move up a block to in front of the Panera/Trader Joes and Gap/Old Navy intersection."

- "A big problem is that the lights should be on sensors. It's pretty annoying to sit at a red light when there are NO cars at the green light."

- "They need to time them better. If the left arrow at reef and post was at the beginning of the light and not the end, people turning left wouldn't jam up all of downtown."

- "As much as I hate sitting at a light, the roads are filled with stupid reckless drivers so I think we need them."

- "Someone needs to do something about the light off the I-95 exit where Staples is. Only green for 30 seconds. Back ups all the time!!!"

Is there a red light in Fairfield you can’t stand? Is there an intersection that could desperately use a red light? Let us know on Facebook.