The traffic light in Baldenich has been repaired, but the flashing light will not be a mere memory. The Municipality has in fact decided to start an experiment to make traffic more fluid: the traffic lights will be turned on at time slots, for four and a half hours a day. For the rest of the day it will be flashing. Peace of mind of the pedestrians, who will have to wait for the vehicles to stop to cross the road.
“Putting an on-call system is not possible, because the entire system would go red”, explains the deputy mayor and councilor for traffic, Paolo Gamba. “However, I remember that pedestrians, according to the highway code, always have priority when they cross on the strips and in the hours when there is greater transit the traffic light will be on”.
Here are the bands in which the traffic light will work normally: 7.30-9, 12-13.30 and 17.30-19. Most of the morning and afternoon remain uncovered.
EXPERIMENTATION
The one started by the Municipality is an experiment, which will last six months and which arises from having verified that during off-peak times the traffic at the intersection was more smooth when the traffic light, not working due to damage to internal components, flashed. “The goal is to improve the fluidity of traffic and lower the levels of smog, in particular along the main axis crossing the city on the Piave right”, explains the mayor, Oscar De Pellegrin.
The ordinance will come into force as soon as the signs are laid. «Six months will give us the opportunity to understand if the measure works», concludes the mayor, «after which it will be decided whether to continue in this direction or return to the usual system. Cars stopped at traffic lights at times when traffic is very low generate emissions that can be avoided ».
THE FUTURE
“We have to make circulation more fluid,” adds Gamba. “It may well be that this measure can be implemented in other areas of the city, we will see how it will work in Baldenich. My idea would be to remove all traffic lights, creating roundabouts or mandatory directions of travel. We will investigate this. ‘
FINISHED THE WORKS ON THE PLANT
In recent weeks the Baldenich traffic light has alternated periods of operation with periods of only flashing due to the breakdown of internal components that have been completely replaced. It took weeks to restore the system because the parts to be replaced were not immediately available, like many materials in this period, and so in the meantime the electricians went almost daily to the intersection to buffer the problem with solutions which, however, they always proved to be temporary.