Midway's First Traffic Light

Center Street and Main Street

by Robin M Johnson

Work on the first traffic light for Midway began Monday morning, Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) workers began spraying paint to mark the area at Center Street and Main Street. Wes Johnson, city engineer, told the city council at their work meeting held last Wednesday, July 12, to expect that UDOT would begin their project soon. 

Johnson said, "I had a meeting with UDOT yesterday (July 11) concerning the Center Street and Main Street light. I told them that the completion date for the project had to be two weeks before Swiss Days." Johnson wanted the council to know he had authorized the project to begin so they would not be surprised when the work commenced. 

Crews working on the south east corner of the Center Street and Main Street intersections preparing for the
 new traffic light to be completely installed two weeks before the annual Swiss Days on Friday and Saturday
of Labor Day Weekend.  Photo taken Tuesday afternoon July 18, .Photo credit: Robin M Johnson (c) 2017

In an interview Johnson said he did not know exactly when the work would begin but he had specifically asked UDOT that no work be done in the two weeks prior to Swiss Days, this was in order to avoid added congestion on Main Street during preparations for the annual festival and the festival itself. At the same time he also asked  UDOT to move forward as quickly as they could because there is no way the completion date on the project can be pushed back. Johnson was very pleased at UDOT's quick response when the work began on Monday. 

Johnson said he has been meeting with UDOT regularly for about six to nine months on plans for two lights coming to Midway. He said, "UDOT has been very willing to work with Midway, they are very good at notifying local entities about work that is happening in their community in the coming year, and even the next year. The only thing they maybe could have done is call and say, Wes, we're starting work on Monday." 

To be fair Johnson added that typically the state doesn't call with the exact date work will start. "If we owe them anything, we owe UDOT our thanks for being willing to come quickly and work around Swiss Days." They don't have to do that. 

Residents, however, have varying feelings about the traffic lights, some would rather see a round about or a four way stop, anything but a traffic light. Others don't like the growth in their small town but recognize some form of traffic control is needed at the intersection. Still others are grateful something is being done at this intersection that can be very busy at certain times of the day and welcome the added safety, especially to pedestrians. 

A small group of citizens wants to know why the mayor and city council did not inform the public when the light was being installed. According to Johnson the answer lies first in who owns the road, and second in established policy. The fact is Main Street is a state road under the jurisdiction of UDOT, and Center Street going south to Charleston is also a state road. 

Johnson said, "That's their road, they never notify the public when they are about to pave Main Street, or when they are ready to stripe Center Street." It is not UDOT's policy to send out notifications to residents for road work projects. 

Crews were working on the south side of Center Street and Main Street Tuesday afternoon: preparing the
southeast side for a dual arm mast and the required underground work, and preparing the southwest side for
a pedestrian post signal for crossing the street with the light. Photo credit: Robin M Johnson (c) 2017

As for the city, UDOT only informed Johnson the work would begin soon, no date was given. Johnson said he has given reports to the city council in their regular public city council meeting at least half a dozen times in the last several months, one of which resulted in an article in The Wasatch Wave and on this blog. 

Over the years the majority of Midway residents responding to citizen survey's have indicated a strong preference for a round about as a safe and aesthetically pleasing alternative to a traffic light. Johnson said UDOT looked at putting in a round about on Center and Main.

Johnson said UDOT's intent was to complete a traffic control project within their right of way. UDOT said 'we don't have funds for roundabout'. Johnson gave several good arguments for putting in a round about. First, they are an effective way to control  traffic flow by keeping vehicles moving. Second, in the event of an accident a round about is safer for vehicles because accidents occur at an angle and are more likely to hit bumpers, this is called deflected impact. In a regular light controlled intersection accidents are more likely to occur at a 90 degree angle with one vehicle hitting the other on the side. 

Drawbacks to a round about, according to Johnson, include studies have shown they are not safer for pedestrians. Johnson said, "Some people say a roundabout is more aesthetically pleasing, but if four people have died there ... that's a high price to pay for aesthetically pleasing. We place a  high value on pedestrian safety, especially with pedestrian traffic on Main Street during Swiss Days."

Another drawback is a roundabout requires more land than a traffic light. Johnson said double stacked trucks, or semi's pulling a second trailer behind the first, when going through a roundabout need a lot of extra room. Trucks of this size do come through Midway. If UDOT was willing to pay for property outside of their right of way this would put a heavy impact on the properties surrounding the Center and Main intersection.

Johnson said, "Some people say that UDOT should just condemn the property and do the roundabout anyway." Johnson said to do that UDOT would need to meet three criteria: 1. UDOT must show a public need for a roundabout, which they did when they completed a traffic study showing the intersection warrants a traffic light. 2. UDOT must have the money for a project up front to purchase the property and pay the costs of the project, fund raising after deciding to build is not allowed. UDOT does not have funds to purchase the property and wants to build their project within their right of way. 3. UDOT must show there is no other practical alternative, if someone took them to court for condemning property for a roundabout a judge would throw the case out because a traffic light is a practical alternative to a roundabout.      

Johnson said, "After learning this we quickly went away from the idea of a roundabout."

A crew working on the southwest corner of Center Street and Main Street. Workers installing UDOT's
traffic control project will ensure Midway City's first traffic light does not encroach on private property/.
The completed project will be entirely within UDOT's right of way. Photo credit: Robin M Johnson (c) 2017

There are two commercial properties and two residential properties located on the four corners of the intersection. Both residential properties are on the historic registry. Johnson said, "I personally have talked to the business owners multiple times regarding the project's impact to their property. On Monday the 7-11 people told him 'thank you, we are glad, we need something there' while The Midway Adventure Company owner said 'you should have told me it was happening today'.   

All improvements at the intersection are within UDOT's right of way, Johnson said. "UDOT was very willing to take on additional cost to help greatly minimize impact on the two residential properties on the corner. Rather than installing one pole at each corner or four poles with one extending mast for the traffic lights as in a traditional controlled intersection, UDOT is installing two poles with dual masts. One pole will be on the northwest corner where 7-11 is with one mast extending south toward Charleston, and the other mast extending east toward Heber. The second pole will be on the southeast corner with one mast extending north toward Wilson Peak and the other mast extending west toward the Wasatch Mountains. A pedestrian button will be installed on all four corners resulting in minimal impact to the two residential properties.   

As of last Wednesday's meeting Johnson said there is a possibility the signal poles will not be ready in time for the two weeks before Swiss Days deadline. In that event, Johnson told UDOT if they could not meet the deadline because the poles were not ready, to do all the preliminary work. "There’s some curb widening, asphalt installation, conduit, I’m fine with that, do all the underground, get the pedestals ready, get everything ready, and take all of the traffic control off the site. Then, after Swiss Days I’m fine if you physically come and set the pole and get the lights going."

Johnson said there is a good chance the project will be completed in time, but if it's not completed the point he wanted to make is no work on the project should be done in the two week time frame before Swiss Days.  

UPDATE ON RIVER ROAD AND MAIN STREET TRAFFIC LIGHT

River Road (400 East) and Main Street also warrants a traffic light. Johnson said when UDOT first informed the city it was conducting a traffic study on the Center Street and Main Street intersection, he said 'You ought to also do a traffic study on 400 East and Main Street, in my personal opinion that's more busy'. 

Originally UDOT intended to install the second light this summer. However, this spring Johnson told UDOT he was concerned with the road going from three lanes wide, narrowing down to two lanes wide, then going back to three lanes wide, only to narrow down to two lanes again all in a one block space, from about 350 East to 450 East on Main Street. 

UDOT set aside $70,000 for the River Road and Main Street project, but with the additional costs associated with widening the road, UDOT estimates the project at $1 million. They have been trying to raise another $30,000 in order to do the project this summer. 

Johnson told the council at last Wednesday's meeting, "Because of right of way, it won’t happen this year, it will be next summer."

Karl Dodge, city councilman, asked, "Have they got the funding for that yet?

Colleen Bonner, mayor, said, "They're working on it."

Johnson said, "No, that's the problem, is the funding."

UDOT has scheduled the project for next summer. Since they could not raise the funds this year, they can get the additional funds from their 2018 budget. Johnson said when they go out into the field to design the project they may find things that need to be done so that the as the final design comes in the costs could go up.