Perhaps there was a good reason for installing the light, but by doing so without left turn lanes has created an often frustrating situation. Many times people in the north and southbound lanes of Palafox will not be able to make it through the light because left turners in front of the line get hung up. Southbound left turners on Palafox waiting on a train crossing the Kingsfield railroad track might cause a bigger backup.

On occasion, I have seen people in the northbound lane use the right turn lane to go straight around traffic waiting on northbound left turners (once at a high rate of speed), which sets the scenario for a collision with someone in the southbound lane turning left. Installing left turn lanes would be a nice improvement to the intersection along with the improvement to the light.
@ William: Was there an official reason for the county not adding left turn lanes to this intersection when the light was installed?

I am as a former inspector for a civil engineering company very aware of how the traffic surveys are done in order to develop the light timing plan.

the light timing plan has the following limitations. or, did have these.
for a light on a synchronized plan:
Daily:
at 6 a.m. all sensor operated changes stop, and timed operation begins.
– light is set at a minimum time and does not change until that time is up. if the number of cars through a light triggers the sensors more than a certain number during that set time, the light doubles the amount of time before change.
– at 8 a.m. the light goes to set timing. 30 seconds on one road, 30 seconds on the other. because the most people are moving on both roads at this point.
- at 6 pm. the variable timing pattern from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. resumes and stays that way until 11 p.m.
- at 11 p.m. the lights are sensor activated. 1 car hits the sensor pad and the light changes 3 to 5 seconds later if no other sensor detects a car.

the schedule is variable based on … you guessed it… what the traffic surveys that I did reported on how much traffic went through the intersection.

the upshot:
what’s more likely, that the oil companies are bribing local officials to have you sit in traffic to increase oil consumption, or that escambia county traffic planners have to find the best way to get 350,000 people to work between the hours of 6 a.m and 9 a.m. *every.single.morning*

when you ask yourself at which time you find yourself sitting still in traffic at a light most often, and the answer is 6 to 9 a.m, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or 4 to 7 pm, you have your answer.

there is no conspiracy. just a ton of people taking their own cars to work.

Will promote walking.