Home › News › Local news
Collier leaders won’t charge new fee for ‘convenience’ traffic lights
More Local news 
Share and Enjoy 
Everyone knows one.
Maybe it gets in the way during a morning commute.
Or perhaps it stands between you and the grocery store.
It’s those pesky traffic signals that slow drivers trying to get from here to there, granting entry and exit at gated communities and shopping centers located off major roadways.
They may cause minor frustration for drivers in a hurry, but they are a major source of concern for Collier traffic officials, who say the lights cause congestion while serving only a select few residents.
Consultant Susan Joel told county leaders at a recent meeting that a single additional traffic signal takes up 19 hours and 25 additional gallons of fuel from the drivers traversing a busy road during one hour at peak travel time.
She also pointed to the maintenance, repair and operation costs of the signals.
However, Collier commissioners opted out of a plan at their meeting Tuesday to make neighborhoods and shopping centers repay the benefits garnered from the use of such “convenience signals.”
“I can see the headline of the Naples Daily News tomorrow,” Commissioner Fred Coyle said. “‘Commissioners plan to charge citizens for traffic lights’.”
Soon after, Coyle made a motion to direct county staff not to explore the issue any further, stating that if road capacity is reduced because of convenience signals, county staff members need to stop recommending approval of new construction along crowded roads.
His motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner Frank Halas dissenting.
“I think our problem is we’ve expanded these roads to six lanes and now we have to figure out how to make them more efficient, not just for the people that go to work, but also commercially,” Halas said.
Some 27 intersections were listed on county documents as ones located on major, or “arterial,” roadways, providing access to developments that contain no other outlet to other major roads. The list was compiled as part of a $57,000 study conducted by consultant Vanus Inc.
Up for consideration were two suggestions: one to apply user fees retroactively to the shopping centers and communities and another to levy a new fee on new developments only.
Commissioners objected most vociferously to retroactive fees, which Coyle said would amount to a new tax.
Collier County Transportation Director Norm Feder, who had presented the option as an alternative to make up some of the tax shortfall caused by property tax rollbacks, told commissioners he would keep trying to come up with new ways to finance road improvements.
“My job would be a lot easier not to raise issues not done throughout the country,” Feder said. “But, we only do it to try to make the system operate as best as possible.”
Tired of being stuck behind that cement mixer? Wondering if you need to buy stock in Bob's Barricades? 
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Break our rules, and we will ban you. No exceptions, no second chances. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
Lets be honest about these lights-90% of them are for communities like the Estuary (that one is less than 6 months old) and Pelican Marsh, just to name 2...There is absolutely no logical reason why these communties that have 'on demand' lights (as i think of them) shouldn't pay for them directly and by not making them pay the BoCC gives us further reason to believe that they are corrupt and pander directly to the whims and needs of the wealthy elite in Collier and could care less about the average citizen who lives here.
#1 Posted by wordofmouth on May 17, 2008 at 7:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
More examples of last come, first served.
#2 Posted by DonK31 on May 17, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Textbook application of the golden rule.
Those with the gold rule.
#3 Posted by swampbuggy on May 17, 2008 at 9:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Great comment, Thunder......
#4 Posted by volochine on May 18, 2008 at 1:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I was amazed to see an article that actually addressed what I believe is the primary cause of traffic congestion, red light running and road rage in this town. There are just way too many traffic lights. Why does every community need their own light? It's absurd! And they're all out of sync with each other. Admittedly, with so many lights, I can see why synchronization is so difficult for the county.
I've noticed that whenever there's an accident -- or worse, a fatality -- at a community entrance, the first thing some folks start screaming for is for a traffic light to be installed. Since I feel that should always be a last resort, I have a few other ideas that should be tried first:
1. Learn how to drive properly.
2. Pay attention to the road and not your phone, newspaper, children, et al.
3. Drive defensively. Assume every other driver is going to do something illegal, dangerous and insane at any given moment. Learn to anticipate how things can go wrong and understand how to extricate yourself from a driving situation gone awry.
4. If it's too dangerous to turn left, make a right and then pull a U-turn at your earliest convenience. Otherwise known as a "Michigan Left."
The county could help by putting more left turn lanes in the median, so you wouldn't have to drive 3 miles just to find somewhere where it's safe and legal to make a U-turn. Developers could help by providing more than one single vehicular access point for a 2,000-unit community, of all the ridiculous things.
Rather than inconvenience everyone else on the road for years to come, take a few extra seconds to do things the smart and safe way on the road. You'll have many, many more years ahead of you if you do!
#5 Posted by Pontiaction on May 18, 2008 at 3:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They should have known better than suggesting this during an election year. Three Commissioners up for re-election and the gated developments are the places they get their campaign money and votes. While watching Coyle's hissy fit on TV I realized that most of the locations that have signals like this are in his district on the west side of the county. Halas was the only one smart enough and honest enough to see the problem.
#6 Posted by naplesdad on May 18, 2008 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
#6 It's a no brainer. RIGHT TURN ONLY. Get rid of the lights.
#7 Posted by jimboaw on May 18, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like a simple solution. Vote the commissioners out, except halas. They obviously don't understand the inconvenience, and cost of gas, requiring the working people to stop at EVERY gated community so that larry q-tip can migrate his town car out onto the County roadway. These traffic lights [at the gated communities] that change for one car are asinine. With gas at $4, and soon to be $5, it’s time to fix this non-sense.
#8 Posted by Tookie_Williams on May 18, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I see SUNPASS coming at a "convinience signal" near you.
#9 Posted by Naplesheart on May 18, 2008 at 2:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Right turn only will save lives.
#10 Posted by volochine on May 19, 2008 at 1:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)