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Resident says Birmingham traffic lights create "traffic anarchy," questions $2 million grant
Summary
A resident told a public forum that poorly coordinated traffic signals force long detours, worsen pollution and health risks, and questioned how a reported $2,000,000 grant to improve signals was spent.
A resident told attendees that "Birmingham has a traffic light problem," saying signals across the city do not coordinate and create what he called "traffic anarchy." He said he would run an informal experiment to show the impact on travel times and pollution.
The speaker said his grandchildren live about 5 miles across the city but that Google Maps often routes him 12 miles around at rush hour to save time. He also said, "The city of Birmingham last year got a $2,000,000 grant to help ease the flow of traffic and sink the traffic lights," and added he has been unable to get a clear accounting of how that money was used. The resident tied the signal issue to public-health concerns, noting that "Alabama is number 2 in the nation in heart disease," and argued repeated stopping and idling increases pollution exposure for drivers and residents. No city response to the specific questions about grant spending was recorded in the transcript.
He closed by describing an on-the-ground trip that took 20 minutes to cover less than 5 miles across town, reiterated that coordination of signals should be fixed, and thanked the audience.
