Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Google Maps
Nobody likes a broken traffic light, but Oakland residents have been struggling with this problem for several months in the intersection of E. 12th Street and 16th Avenue.
The lights have been shut down repeatedly in the last months, occasionally blinking red instead of working correctly. It's almost as if they weren't there, residents say.
Starting this month, that's exactly the case, as city workers have removed the traffic lights altogether, going for old-school traditional stop signs. The four-way stop signs have been installed specifically to address the lack of traffic lights, albeit their impact on traffic hasn't yet been calculated.
Now, let's get to the odd part of the story.
If you wonder why the traffic lights have become such a big headache for local authorities, it all comes down to thieves. Authorities couldn't stop thieves from stealing the copper wires in the traffic lights and, in some cases, even running away with them completely.
Homeless people also tampered with the electric boxes on the sidewalks as they attempted to steal power.
City officials claim they've already tried multiple solutions, at one point even planting heavy cement blocks on the electrical boxes, hoping the thieves wouldn't be able to remove them. They were, and the homeless people still got access to the boxes, eventually stealing the copper wires and breaking down the traffic light system.
Residents in the region told local media that dealing with the homeless people would have been a more effective solution than installing stop signs to replace the traffic lights. Authorities have already attempted to clear the area, but they keep coming back, eventually causing the same disruptions in the traffic light system. They also fixed the broken traffic lights repeatedly, but it didn't take long – usually one week or two – before thieves rendered them useless by stealing the copper wires and causing the same confusion for drivers going through the intersection.
Police have remained tight-lipped on the case, but city workers claim the stop signs were installed temporarily. As for how long it'll take until they reinstall the traffic lights, that's a question that nobody can answer. The stop signs are temporary, but considering the city hasn't yet found a solution to deal with the copper theft, it could take a while until the intersection returns to its original configuration.
Meanwhile, drivers are recommended to pay attention to road signage and overhead stop signs. Mobile navigation apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps have already been updated to reflect the changes – on Apple Maps, you should also see a stop sign when you approach the intersection, as the application also signals such signage in the United States. Google Maps no longer displays a traffic light icon for the intersection.
Starting this month, that's exactly the case, as city workers have removed the traffic lights altogether, going for old-school traditional stop signs. The four-way stop signs have been installed specifically to address the lack of traffic lights, albeit their impact on traffic hasn't yet been calculated.
Now, let's get to the odd part of the story.
If you wonder why the traffic lights have become such a big headache for local authorities, it all comes down to thieves. Authorities couldn't stop thieves from stealing the copper wires in the traffic lights and, in some cases, even running away with them completely.
Homeless people also tampered with the electric boxes on the sidewalks as they attempted to steal power.
City officials claim they've already tried multiple solutions, at one point even planting heavy cement blocks on the electrical boxes, hoping the thieves wouldn't be able to remove them. They were, and the homeless people still got access to the boxes, eventually stealing the copper wires and breaking down the traffic light system.
Residents in the region told local media that dealing with the homeless people would have been a more effective solution than installing stop signs to replace the traffic lights. Authorities have already attempted to clear the area, but they keep coming back, eventually causing the same disruptions in the traffic light system. They also fixed the broken traffic lights repeatedly, but it didn't take long – usually one week or two – before thieves rendered them useless by stealing the copper wires and causing the same confusion for drivers going through the intersection.
Police have remained tight-lipped on the case, but city workers claim the stop signs were installed temporarily. As for how long it'll take until they reinstall the traffic lights, that's a question that nobody can answer. The stop signs are temporary, but considering the city hasn't yet found a solution to deal with the copper theft, it could take a while until the intersection returns to its original configuration.
Meanwhile, drivers are recommended to pay attention to road signage and overhead stop signs. Mobile navigation apps like Google Maps and Apple Maps have already been updated to reflect the changes – on Apple Maps, you should also see a stop sign when you approach the intersection, as the application also signals such signage in the United States. Google Maps no longer displays a traffic light icon for the intersection.
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