Getting the (no turn on) red out, plus no trucks*
Posted on July 26th, 2009 – 11:57 PMBy Roadguy
Here’s my weekly column from the paper:
HOW TO REQUEST A “NTOR” SIGN
Alert reader Joan called up Roadguy with a blunt opinion to share:
There are certain areas in the city of Minneapolis that still have “no turn on red signs” that make absolutely no sense.
She wanted to know how to get her least favorite sign, at an intersection near the Interstate 35W construction zone, taken down. Matt Laible, city spokesman, said she should dial 311 or 612-673-3000 (outside of Minneapolis) to request that a “no turn on red” sign be removed — or added.
Added? Would someone ever clamor for such a thing?
Laible said that while 77 “no turn on red” signs have been removed since 2005, there are indeed reasons for installing new ones. On Nicollet Avenue at 59th Street, for example, one was added because of the presence of school patrols, while at Park Avenue and 28th Street, a sign was installed because of a high population of elderly residents trying to cross the street — something that’s easier to do if drivers aren’t cutting across while you’ve got the “walk” signal.
The trend, though, is toward fewer signs, meaning a bit of time and gas saved for drivers.
TRUCKING OPTIONS
When Roadguy took the above photo the week before last, the word that came to his mind was “brazen.” Not only was the truck ignoring the “no trucks” sign, it also was driving on a section of West River Parkway that’s made up of wood planks.
I phoned our friends at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which sets the rules for the parkways, and learned that the truck might not have been breaking the rules.
Annie Olson, who’s in charge of such things for the board, said that there’s an apartment building that can only be reached via that stretch of parkway, so moving vans or trucks making deliveries are allowed to drive on it for that short distance without any permits or fees.
Other trucks wishing to use a parkway need to get a $50 permit; trucks heavier than 13 tons aren’t allowed at all. The plank road doesn’t have any special limits.
The truck driver in the picture couldn’t get a permit to cover another sin, however: drifting across the center line.
9 Responses to "Getting the (no turn on) red out, plus no trucks*"
Speaking of big vehicles on parkways, I encountered a MVTA bus on Minnehaha Parkway between 35W and Portland. Can it do that? It clearly exited 35W at Diamond Lake Road, snarled traffic at the 35W overpass due to the limited space to turn onto the Parkway, and then drove extremely fast around those tight corners to Portland. That just didn’t seem right.
repost. how do we get rid of stoplights all together in some places? there are a few stoplights on valley view road on 494 and just west of there that serve absolutly no purpose! how about get them to change the new fad of separating the turning traffic, (only one turning lane in each direction goes at a time) this information could be more useful then having another article on NTOR signs.
MVTA makes their own rules. They moved a bus stop from Highway 13 onto my street for no apparent reason. I love hearing that bus stop, not pick up anyone, and drive down my street. Still waiting on that call back from MVTA since May.
There are several NTOR signs in the 35E/35W/42 triangle in Burnsville. The compliance rate is, oh, about 1%. Which, oddly enough, is much greater than the number of commuters who bother to stop at the ramp meters on the ramp from Cty. 11 onto NB 35E in Burnsville.
Anyone know if the above number is the place to call to have a Stop Sign taken down?
I just moved to a small town and they have a 3-way stop sign at a T-intersection that doesn’t warrant it.
The ONLY reason I can think that a stop sign was put there is because two MN State Troopers live at the end of this 3/4 dead-end block area.
I have only seen one car exit off of this street since I moved here (you guessed it, one of the State Troopers).
Further to the West on this same street, there is another stop sign, but that’s because the corner is right next to a ball field and traffic needs order when everyone goes home. (Haven’t seen a game yet)
lovetodrivegirl- the number is for Minneapolis only. For your problem, you need to figure out who maintains those roads & petition them to implement the suggested change.
thanks bsimon
“at Park Avenue and 28th Street, a sign was installed because of a high population of elderly residents trying to cross the street — something that’s easier to do if drivers aren’t cutting across while you’ve got the “walk” signal”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if the light is red, wouldn’t the pedestrian signal be “Don’t Walk”? It would seem to me that putting in a “No Turn On Red” someplace where people take the entire light to cross would in fact be tantamount to banning ALL right turns - you can’t go while someone’s crossing, and you can’t go when it’s red. You better hope no one wants to cross, or you’re never going to turn!
At the intersection where Minnehaha Ave turns off from 26 Ave there is a left turn light for the northbound (Minnehaha Ave) traffic and no turn light for the southbound (26 Ave) traffic, but the light to proceed northbound (26 Ave) remains red even though the southbound traffic can’t move. So why not allow the northbound (26 Ave) traffic to proceed while the southbound (26 Ave) waits for the left-hand turners?
