Traffic Lights on I-270 Ramps- are they working?

In an effort to ease congestion, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently installed traffic lights on several ramps to Interstate 270, including the one that I use almost daily, on exit 11, at Diamond Avenue. These new traffic lights are on during heavy rush-hour periods, and will slow down traffic entering the freeway when it is really congested.

The theoretical pros to these new lights are well known: keep traffic moving better, improve fuel efficiency and reduce accidents. However, MDOT might need additional studies to show whether these particular lights are working, as it seems that morning rush hour lines of traffic waiting to get on 270 are actually longer on Diamond avenue, than they were prior to installation.

If the study shows little or no impact, MDOT should move these lights from exit 11 to other locations that will benefit more from this ramp metering system.