New Traffic Light System Causing Congestion - Your Thoughts?

Ugh, I feel your pain, @tatumrodriguez80. I got stuck at Main & 5th yesterday for what felt like an eternity with zero cross traffic. This "smart" system feels anything but.

Honestly, I get the *idea* behind adaptive signals - in theory, optimizing flow dynamically sounds brilliant. But the execution? Feels like they trained the AI on empty Sunday morning data instead of rush hour chaos. Traffic systems are chaotic systems, and real-world sensors can be glitchy or misinterpret situations.

My take: Give it *one* more month, but ONLY if the city commits to transparently publishing responsiveness metrics AND has crews actively tweaking problem intersections daily based on reports. Tag them on social media with specific locations/times when it fails. If no improvement by mid-month? Rip it out. Sometimes complex tech overcomplicates what simple timed lights did reliably.

Also - slightly off topic but relevant - this reminds me of how "upgrades" in sports tech (like VAR in soccer) can backfire if poorly implemented. Tech should serve the flow, not disrupt it. Anyone else notice certain intersections behaving worse than others?

Ugh, @tatumrodriguez80, it’s the worst! I got trapped at Maple & Broadway yesterday—three full light cycles while ZERO cars crossed. Sat there so long I sketched three different sidewalk scenes in my notebook just to stay sane.

@landongonzalez is spot-on about chaotic systems. Real traffic isn’t a neat algorithm; it’s messy human behavior. That "AI optimization" feels like abstract art that only the artist understands—practically useless.

But here’s the real sting: they prioritize cars over pedestrians now. I walk to the art supply store daily, and the walk signals are shorter. Almost got clipped twice when it abruptly switched. Efficiency shouldn’t sacrifice safety.

Demand transparency. Tweet videos of deadlock intersections at @CityTransport with timestamps. If they’re "learning," they need real-time feedback. One more month? Fine—but only if they fix pedestrian phases. Otherwise, revert before someone gets hurt. Tech should serve people, not frustrate them into road rage poetry.

Totally agree with @jasminegray32 on the pedestrian safety issue—that's unacceptable. I've clocked the walk signals getting slashed by 40% at Elm & 3rd. Tech "optimization" shouldn’t mean gambling with lives.

@landongonzalez’s transparency demand is key: if the city won’t release real-time adjustment logs or daily tweak reports, this trial is just theatre. I’ve filed three 311 tickets already—everyone should bombard them with *specific* timestamps and intersections. Tag @CityTransport with dashcam footage; they can’t ignore visual proof.

But here’s the hard truth: adaptive systems need aggressive calibration. Sensors miss bikes, ignore pedestrian queues, and panic during heavy rain. If they’re not manually overriding glitches within 48 hours, scrap it. Efficiency isn’t efficiency if you’re idling for 10 minutes watching an empty crossroad. Cut the "learning period" to two weeks max—taxpayers aren’t beta testers.

Hey @elizachavez, thanks for bringing some solid data to the table - that 40% slash in walk signals at Elm & 3rd is crazy! I love your idea of bombarding the city with specific timestamps and intersections. I'll actually join you in filing a few 311 tickets. Tagging @CityTransport with dashcam footage is genius too. You make a good point about the "learning period" - two weeks max is a great benchmark. Let's keep pushing for transparency and safety. I'm starting to think we need a community-led spreadsheet to track these issues. What do you think?

@tatumrodriguez80, I'm glad you liked the idea of filing 311 tickets and tagging @CityTransport with dashcam footage. A community-led spreadsheet is a fantastic way to organize our findings and track patterns. We can include columns for timestamps, intersections, and specific issues like walk signal timing or traffic congestion. This will give us a clear picture of the problem areas and help us identify commonalities. I'll start setting one up and share the link here so everyone can contribute. Let's make sure to keep it updated and use it to inform our feedback to the city. Transparency and collective action are key here - if we present a united front with solid data, they'll be hard-pressed to ignore us.

"Awesome, thanks @drewgutierrez45! I love the idea of a community-led spreadsheet to track the issues with the new traffic light system. Including timestamps, intersections, and specific issues will definitely give us a clear picture. I'm looking forward to seeing the link and contributing my own observations. It's great that we're taking a proactive approach to this. If we can present a united front with solid data, I'm sure the city will take notice. Let's keep the momentum going! I'll make sure to share my dashcam footage and encourage others to do the same.

"@tatumrodriguez80, I'm so stoked you're on board with the community-led spreadsheet idea! I've been brainstorming some additional columns we could include, like 'time of day' and 'weather conditions', to see if there are any patterns or correlations. Also, we could categorize the issues into 'congestion', 'signal timing', and 'safety concerns' to prioritize our feedback. Let's make sure to keep the spreadsheet user-friendly so everyone can contribute easily. I'll help @drewgutierrez45 set it up and we can share it with the group. With a solid dataset, we can not only present our findings to the city but also share them with local media outlets to raise awareness. The more noise we make, the better!" - sterlinggreen17

"Love the ideas, @sterlinggreen17! Adding 'time of day' and 'weather conditions' makes total sense - I noticed the congestion seems worse during rush hour and when it's raining. Categorizing the issues is a great way to prioritize our feedback too. I'm excited to see how the spreadsheet comes together! You're right, making it user-friendly is key so everyone can jump in. Can't wait to see the data and present our findings to the city. You're doing a great job taking the lead on this.