Why are traffic lights so bad in this area? (Orlando: design, cars)

[Branal]

It seems like the powers that be are trying to create more traffic. Certain lights that only stay green for 15 seconds. And driving on Colonial none of the lights are synchronized so you have to wait at each light. Worst system ever!

[stablegenius]

Try driving down Semoran, it's like they are trying to screw people over. Most times I hit every single light.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by stablegenius

Try driving down Semoran, it's like they are trying to screw people over. Most times I hit every single light.

Yes. I agree. Poorly-synced lights all over the place. Semoran from Apopka down to around 17/92 is the absolute worst, with Maitland Blvd/414 being a close second.
Try driving down Maitland going West from I-4 to 441 at around 4PM. Have fun having each traffic light turn red right in your face.
FDOT sucks. Plain and simple.

[bmw335xi]

My issue with the lights (generally speaking) is the rotation is too slow. It’s like if you get the yellow, it feels like you have to wait 5 minutes until it turns green again. I do notice that some are not synced as well, it’s like if you run a yellow, you’ll get all greens, if you stop on a yellow, you’ll get all reds.

[OTownKnight]

The lights here in Orlando are designed to cause traffic, I'm sure of it. The lights are not synced at all and most of the time they don't make sense.

They'll stop a large flow of cars in both directions just to let one person turn right on a green, and the light will stay green for a minute while dozens of other cars wait for no reason. Just one example I dealt with yesterday.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by OTownKnight

The lights here in Orlando are designed to cause traffic, I'm sure of it. The lights are not synced at all and most of the time they don't make sense.

They'll stop a large flow of cars in both directions just to let one person turn right on a green, and the light will stay green for a minute while dozens of other cars wait for no reason. Just one example I dealt with yesterday.

One particular light I used to go through all the time on OBT will literally turn red at a community entrance for no reason at all. No cars coming out of it, but dozens of cars waiting for the light to turn back to green. It even does this at 2AM when you are the only car on the road. Stupid.

[kyle19125]

I truly do not get the alternating left turns at four way intersections. Why can't either side on the same street turn left at the same time? That adds a lot of time at each intersection.

[OTownKnight]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

One particular light I used to go through all the time on OBT will literally turn red at a community entrance for no reason at all. No cars coming out of it, but dozens of cars waiting for the light to turn back to green. It even does this at 2AM when you are the only car on the road. Stupid.

Yup, that sounds like almost every intersection of Orlando.

[Bellamouse]

I have never spent so much time in my life waiting at red lights as I have here in Orlando. I always joke that you can practically read War and Peace sitting at the lights here....

I DO love the big, open, smooth roads, and the lack of traffic in general (compared to Chicago), but it does seem the timing of the lights is very, very bizarre.

I just learned to adjust my expectations about how long it takes to get anywhere and that has eased most of my frustration. There are tradeoffs with everything. I prefer these long lights to the awful roads and traffic up north.

[boy3365]

The short left turn lights are what bothers me.

Then the people who are on their phones who don't go when those left lights turn green....... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!