Fishinger Boulevard Traffic Lights

Update

Due to the many emails and questions regarding the new sequencing of traffic lights on Fishinger, and concerns about the wait time to cross Fishinger, particularly at the intersection of Fishinger and Smiley, The Glen reached out to Mike Meeks a second time. Mr. Meeks replied with valuable information on how to effectively interact with the Fishinger and Smily traffic signal.

“Attached is a little sketch showing the wires in the pavement that lets the traffic signal know that a car is waiting on Smiley Rd. In the drawing the wires make a rectangle loop and are indicated by a purple color. If cars proceed “ahead” of these loops, into the middle of the intersection, the traffic signal thinks that the cars are gone. If the car remains on the loop, the green will stay longer, at least to a particular cut off.”

"I have [also] attached a picture of the inside of the traffic signal box at Fishinger and Smiley."

Once again, The Glen Civic Association would like to thank Mr. Meeks for answering our questions. Should you need any additional information, please contact Mr. Meeks directly at 614-525-6158.

As always, thank you for your continued interest and participation in The Glen Civic Association.

Original Post

Many residents have commented about changes in the timing sequences of several Fishinger Boulevard traffic lights, specifically at the intersection of Smiley Road and Fishinger, as well as the intersection of Mill Run Drive/Date Point Court and Fishinger. The GCA recently reached out to representatives of the various municipalities and governing bodies in our area (including Franklin County and the cities of Columbus, Hilliard, and Upper Arlington) to learn more about these modifications at our local intersections.

In response to our inquiries, we were contacted by Mike Meeks, P.E., the traffic engineer for the Franklin County Engineer’s Office. He explained that because Fishinger Boulevard spans the County, Norwich Township, Columbus, and Hilliard, the municipalities worked together to come up with the best sequencing for the traffic lights on Fishinger.  Mr. Meeks also mentioned that the timing of the lights varies by the time of day, depending on the amount of traffic.

Sequencing traffic lights is a difficult process, and the timing is not likely to be changed, despite the difficulty of crossing Fishinger Boulevard via Smiley Road or Mill Run Drive/Date Point Court. The GCA did pass along our concern about speeders going through red lights out of frustration with this new timing sequences; Mr. Meeks suggested police could be posted to monitor the intersections.

The Glen Civic Association would like to thank Mike Meeks for responding so quickly to our questions about the various traffic intersections on Fishinger Boulevard. If you have further questions or comments, you may contact Mr. Meeks at the Traffic Engineering Department (614-525-6158).