Is there a busy street in your Charlotte neighborhood? Here’s how to request a stoplight
If there’s an intersection in your Charlotte neighborhood that you feel is unsafe, or has too much congestion, you can submit a request for a traffic signal to the city.
Last month, a Charlotte resident on Nextdoor asked about the status of planned stoplight at the intersection of Hucks Road and Old Statesville Road in north Charlotte.
“All the extra traffic has made it even worse, especially if turning left,” the resident said. “Is this something that can even be requested or reviewed?”
Traffic signals can be requested at any intersection within the Charlotte city limits, including state roadways and pedestrian crossings, according to the Charlotte Department of Transportation.
Nearly 1,200 requests for new traffic signals were submitted to the city from 2020-2022, CDOT spokesperson Tamara Blue told The Charlotte Observer in an email, adding that multiple requests can be submitted for the same location.
Since 2020, there have been 20 locations around Charlotte where CDOT recommended the installation of a traffic signal in response to a request, said Blue.
How to request a new traffic signal
To request a new traffic signal, you can fill out a form on the CDOT website.
The form requires residents to enter the location of the potential traffic signal, details about the intersection and contact information.
What happens after requests are submitted?
When CDOT receives a request for a new traffic signal, “engineers perform a signal evaluation to determine if a signal is warranted,” Blue said.
In accordance with the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a guide on traffic signal installation from the U.S. Department of Transportation, local traffic data (such as traffic volumes, pedestrian volume and crash history) are used to evaluate intersections, according to Blue.
Engineers also conduct visits at proposed traffic signal sites to observe real-world traffic conditions, Blue said.
After the evaluations are completed, those who requested lights are notified of the outcome.
The evaluation process takes about 6-8 weeks to complete, a spokesperson for NCDOT told the Observer in an email.
Future traffic signal installations
Traffic signals will be installed over the next few years at the following intersections in Charlotte, according to CDOT:
Fifth Street and Irwin Avenue
Fifth Street and Pine Street
Barrington Drive and Milton Road
Browne’s Ferry Road and Sugar Creek Road
Camilla Road and Carmel Road
Caprington Avenue and North Tryon Street
Colonial Avenue and Randolph Road
David Cox Road, Lakeview Road and Old Statesville Road
Erwin Road and Steele Creek Road
Fairview Road and the South Park driveway closest to Sharon Road
Fairview Road and Valencia Terrace
Hickory Grove Road, Highland Avenue and Pence Road
Hucks Road and Old Statesville Road
Old Concord Road and West Rocky River Road
Old Sardis Road and Providence Road
Peachtree Road and Sunset Road
Sardis Road and Providence Day School
Sardis Road and Sardis Lane
Wallace Neal Road and West Boulevard
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 9:56 AM.
