Working 4 You: Delay in turning on traffic lights on University near I-630 has Little Rock drivers worried
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Drivers who have headed down South University Avenue north of Interstate 630 have likely noted a traffic light near the Raising Canes and Chase Bank near the highway that has sat dark for years.
Many people regularly on the street say the non-working signal at the intersection of University and District Avenue makes it a headache to get in and out of the nearby The District at Midtown development, especially during peak hours, creating a potentially dangerous situation for many.
Records show the light has been in place for nearly two years and was “completed in accordance with City Code and standards with satisfactory final inspections” on June 30, 2022.
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Working 4 You spent months investigating this issue, questioning the city and asking what was causing the hold up with getting the traffic light to work.
While Mayor Frank Scott Jr.’s office declined a request for an interview regarding the traffic light, Little Rock communications director Aaron Sadler sent a statement saying the developer building out the space installed the signal and claiming that the traffic seen at that intersection “does not warrant a signal.”
“The signal was installed by the private developer of the retail/commercial development at that location.
“Currently, traffic at that intersection does not warrant a signal. If traffic volumes meet the criteria for a signal, the city will turn it on and operate it.”
Many drivers who spoke with Working 4 You did not seem to agree with that assessment. Carmen Mosley-Sims drives the area at least every week and said she is often left waiting staring at a dark traffic signal.
A number of drivers noted the issue with turning left off University onto District. Working 4 You got behind the wheel to test how long making the turn could take, finding an average time of six minutes.
Those kinds of delays can lead to some drivers making dangerous decisions.
“It’s a danger right now, from having it up and having it turned away so that the drivers are blind to it,” Mosley-Sims said. “Seems dangerous to me because it’s sending mixed signals to two different directions of traffic.”
In 2023, the Little Rock Police Department reported 50 accidents in the area. From January to March of 2024, there have been six.
Before the light was installed, a traffic study was conducted in the area, taking into account all proposed businesses. At the time, the intersection received an “F” rating for turning left both in and out of the shopping center. Anything “D” and above is considered acceptable.
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The study found that “traffic signal control would be appropriate for this intersection to coincide with the development as planned” bringing it up to a “C” rating during A.M. and P.M. peak hours.
While the light fits the traffic requirements to approve installation, apparently it’s not enough to turn it on after being built. The city claims the delay is tied to the number of smaller businesses actually opened in the district, but drivers on the road now say they’re the ones having to adjust.
“It should be really simple for the City Engineers to put it on a timer or a sensor that when there’s traffic there then the light turns on,” Mosley-Sims said. “Go ahead and turn it on to serve us because we’re here and we’re using it and we could use this service.”
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