Why late night drivers are fed up with nonstop red lights in NJ

I can't be the only one who feels this way about the traffic lights here in New Jersey. More specifically with the way they're timed.

Yes, this can be frustrating during the daytime hours. In fact, there are two big examples where drivers are constantly just missing the next light.

If you've ever driven route 70 in Ocean County through Brick, or Route 36 in Monmouth County in the Bayshore area, you know what I'm talking about. It's almost as if the timing of these traffic lights are set to try and catch you running them.

The light you're stopped at turns green, but by the time you get up to speed, the next one is just turning red. And in most cases, you're just far back enough to where you need to stop.

Then rinse and repeat for the next traffic light. Unfortunately, route 70 and route 36 aren't the only two highways this is an issue on.

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But for as annoying this happens to be during the daytime, it's even more frustrating at night. Anyone who drives when the roads are mostly empty knows how annoying this is.

From 3 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The same exact thing that happens at 3 p.m. also happens at 3 a.m. But the difference? At least the roads are full of vehicles at 3 p.m. It's quite a different story at 3 a.m.

I experience this myself once every weekend when I drive to the station for my Sunday morning show. I have about an hour commute so I experience this issue quite often where I just miss making the next light.

But the difference? I'm stopped for absolutely nobody. Then when the light turns green, the exact same thing happens at the next signal. And honestly? It's time New Jersey did something about it. Especially along the state highways that we're in charge of.

More lights on flash mode

One possible solution might be one most other states are already doing. Why not put the traffic lights on flash mode during the overnight hours?

The timing of this could depend on when when traffic calms down or when it picks back up. For example, flash mode along one highway can be 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., whereas along a busier highway it might 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.

And it wouldn't have to be every intersection, just the less busy ones like side roads. In fact, it's really those side roads and smaller crossings where most of these delays occur.

Just reprogram the lights and have them flash at night. And if the sensors detect a car sitting along the road with the red flash for an extended period of time, automatically turn the amber flash to a solid red ang give the side road a green. Then reset and go back to flash mode.

Fix the sensors

Speaking of the sensors, it's obvious some of these sensors do not work properly. If they did, then why are these traffic lights constantly changing in the middle of the night when there's no traffic on the road in the first place?

Shouldn't the main highway maintain the green until someone pulls up on the side road? For some reason, intersections with sensors seems to cycle whether or not someone's at them.

If it's too impractical to change our lights to flash mode at night, then we should at least invest in making sure these sensors are working properly.

The daytime is one thing when there's at least traffic, but we shouldn't be stopping at most of these intersections on the main highway in the middle of the night.

Flash it, and forget it

Personally, I think flash mode is the way to go. I've seen enough drivers at night run these reds, and I don't blame them. Not to mention, it's terrible on gas and the vehicle to constantly stop and go.

Especially now when New Jersey's roadways have less visitors on them. At least during the summer you can potentially justify keeping those light active.

But this time of year? Not really. It's just frustrating being forced to stop again, and again, and again for no reason. So during the off hours, New Jersey should just flash it, and forget it.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.