Tylersville Road debuts signal with four-arrow display

WEST CHESTER TWP. – A Tylersville Road intersection is the first in Butler County to be equipped with left-turn signals with a four-arrow display.

The flashing yellow arrow is the first of its kind in the area and among the first to be used in the state of Ohio, said Chris Petrocy, spokesman for the Butler County Engineer’s Office.

It allows for left turns from dedicated lanes provided motorists yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Installation of the signal at the Tylersville Road intersection at Kingsgate Way/Dudley Drive is part of an overall project to improve traffic flow along Tylersville Road.

“The new type of signal is placed over a left turn lane at a signalized intersection – in this case, the east and westbound left turn lanes from Tylersville onto Kingsgate and Dudley,’’ said Greg Wilkens, Butler County’s engineer.

“These were tested and implemented in Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan … and proved to be very effective,” Petrocy said.

A national study conducted for the Federal Highway Administration demonstrated that the new signals help to prevent crashes, move more traffic through an intersection, and provided additional traffic management flexibility, according to an Ohio Department of Transportation brochure.

Although a part of the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices since 2012, they are not yet being incorporated into ODOT District 8 – which includes southwest Ohio – projects, said spokeswoman Liz Lyons.

Along with the flashing yellow arrow, there are three other display arrows:

*Steady green: left turn allowed

*Steady red: no left turn allowed

*Steady yellow: the left turn signal is about to turn red and drivers should prepare to stop

“We’re trying to keep traffic flowing as much as we can,’’ Petrocy said. “(Traffic flow) can be monitored from a computer in our office...giving us the flexibility to (turn on) the flashing yellow arrow immediately.”

For the next several weeks the flashing yellow arrow will be initiated during off-peak hours, gradually being phased in during peak hours when needed, according to Matt Loeffler, traffic engineer.

Petrocy said the engineer’s office will likely use the signal in future county projects.

“It’s another tool available to us to improve safety and traffic flow along one of our busier stretches of road.”