Broken traffic signal flips off pedestrians

Update: The traffic signal has been fixed.

The city on Thursday will fix a traffic signal on South College Avenue that gives pedestrians an obscene hand gesture instead of an order to stop.

It is unclear for how long the signal, at the corner of Johnson Drive near Creekside Park, has been malfunctioning. But traffic engineer Joe Olson said as soon as the city is informed of such problems, they are usually fixed within one business day. For emergencies, such as flashing traffic lights, it is typically fixed within the hour.

To report a broken traffic light or signal, concerned citizens can call Traffic Operations at 970-221-6630 or use the Access Fort Collins mobile app. If the problems occur after hours, call Fort Collins Police dispatch at 920-221-6540. A signal technician is on-call 24 hours, Olson said.

Britney Sorensen, traffic systems engineer, said the traffic department performs annual maintenance checks at each light and signal in town, but typically relies on the public to know when and where a system is not working properly. She suspects the explicit signal on South College uses outdated LED (light-emitting diode) technology, which likely caused the malfunction. There are not many older LED systems still being used in town, she said.

To fix the signal, Sorensen said it will likely cost $200, including labor and materials. The LED lights cost about $150.

The newer LED signals and lights, which last longer than and use less energy than incandescent lights, have a lifetime of about 10 years. Sorensen said the signals and lights are more susceptible to failure in the cold, but even then the department receives only "a handful" of repair calls every day.