The traffic light at the intersection of University Drive and Owens Road in Prairie View has been the cause of much annoyance to those driving to campus. According to some reports, the traffic light goes for long periods of time without changing from its red light stage (particularly in the lane that sends traffic to Prairie View A&M University campus) in the early hours of the morning, causing much frustration to the drivers who emerge at the intersection. This tempts many to try and run the red light, creating a dangerous situation that increases the risk for accidents. This may lead some who have encountered the problem to question how the light works.
Frank Jackson, the mayor of Prairie View, said that not only is a timer present within the light, but that “both the city police and campus police have a key to the box of the control panel, located on the northeast side of the intersection. Cameras are located high in the intersection and they can trigger a change via a timer that starts when the camera catches an approaching [and stopping] car’s headlights.” The mayor said that “if need be the police can control the light manually, since they have access to the control panel.”
Despite his confidence in the handling of the light, Jackson stated that if there have been problems at the traffic light on University Drive, he will file a report about the problems the traffic lights experience in the morning, specifically “at about 3 a.m.”
Still, many drivers may not understand what causes the traffic light to enter into prolonged red-light stages.
Wayne Rentchler is the traffic systems technician of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) maintenance office in the Houston district. When asked what could cause the light to go into long stretches without change, Rentscler responded by stating that the cameras in the intersection “will get a glare from headlights of the cars” stopped at the intersection and also from bright streetlights. He mentioned that sometimes-foggy conditions play a factor in this phenomenon.
Rentschler said, “I will send a man out there to figure out whether the cameras are good or not and see if repairs need to be made.”
Even with the possible resolution of the traffic light situation on University Drive, some feel that the traffic light should not be at the intersection.
“Prairie View is a small town and does not need to have a traffic light at the spot that it is at,” said sophomore Herman Jones. “A stop sign is all that is necessary.”
However, Mayor Jackson felt differently. “We had many accidents at the intersection before it was installed, so it’s been a great safety device.