Does Stratford Have Too Many Red Lights?

If you’re frustrated with the red light situation in Stratford, 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 Stratford best. We asked you on Facebook how you felt about the red lights in our area. Could Stratford 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:

- "Bad timing on several. Especially King street/Nichols meeting Barnum. Almost got T-boned many times when my light was green and people blow through the red on barnum."

- "They should lengthen the one at Main St. Putney and Main. It stays green long enough for literally three cars to pass."

- "The west broad street exit ramp south is another place someone is going to get creamed if they haven't already. Need that area fixed."

- "There needs to be a arrow on Wilcoxson and main, and the light on 110 to take a left onto the Merritt going north needs to be a regular light, the one that is there depending on where your car is you can't see any color."

- "We need something by Wooster, people apparently cannot grasp the concept of a 4 way stop, and it's worse trying to turn onto Nichols from Lincoln Avenue. The lights are horribly timed, the light on Kind St by SHS needs to be longer. But why bother with all the people running red lights and stop signs anyway."

- "The ones near Stratford High connecting Main Street, Barnum, King, and Nichols all have ridiculously dumb timing and everyone always tries to beat the lights. It's a disaster zone. And if you're a pedestrian trying to get by, good luck."

- "They need a flashing light on a timer at Hawley Ln/Huntington Rd from 4-6. Traffic is crazy.."

- "What happened to the intersection of Barnum and Main Street? It appears as though we no longer have red lights for left turns. There is the green left turn arrow for a bit and then solid green, which to me indicates that we can now turn left. Before there was green arrow, to red light and then traffic could either go straight or turn right... accident waiting to happen."

- "Need to be timed better! Some just don't make sense, like the home Depot one. A green arrow when you can see a half mile each way? Horrible timing on so many."

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