FELLSMERE — One Fellsmere family is questioning the length of a red light at the intersection of County Road 512 and Interstate 95 after having to sit for a minute and a half without any other traffic on the road.
“He was annoyed,” Frances Soave said of her husband, Alex, who brought the issue to light. The Soaves travel County Road 512 quite frequently and are often stopped at the light at the highway.
“It’s the only way to get to Sebastian,” Soave said.
Over the weekend, the family pulled up to the light again and timed the red – 90 seconds.
Michael Love, a county traffic engineer, said that he would send someone out to review the intersection’s timing. Signal cycles can range anywhere from 80 seconds to 180 seconds, and depending when the vehicle pulls up to the intersection, it could sit through an entire cycle, he said.
A couple weeks ago, a signal technician noticed an issue with the same intersection and reported it. Love said that the sensor detector used to trigger signal changes had failed, causing the light to stay green even when there is no traffic. The problem was forcing the other lanes of travel to remain red.
“It can be a big headache,” Love said of failing detectors. The county currently does not have a system to alert them when a sensor fails.
That defective detector has since been replaced, according to Love.
“It’s operating as planned,” he said.
Florida Department of Transportation officials said that the county is responsible for the intersection’s signals and timing, even though it is part of the highway’s interchange.
The intersection sees between 10,000 and 15,000 vehicles pass through on a daily basis, Love said.
“That’s not very much in the scope of things,” he said.
Drivers who notice what they believe to be too-long red or green lights should contact authorities.
If the issue is not a public safety hazard, they are asked to call Michael Love at the county at (772) 226-1568. If, however, the traffic signal is out or otherwise posing a hazard, drivers should call 911.