(MURFREESBORO) As a follow-up to last Wednesday's (8/9/2023) Action Line radio broadcast on WGNS with Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland, there were two question from listeners about which he did not have the latest information. One dealt with the road issues on Bradyville Pike and the other was about the city's testing of blinking yellow caution lights on Lytle. 

Looking Back 38-Years

For decades Bradyville Pike has been described as a dangerous roadway. Leadership Rutherford's first class in 1985 learned there were three roads that needed improvements, and all basically had the same issues. Halls Hill Pike, Jefferson Pike and Bradyville Pike. All are narrow two-lane thoroughfares located in high traffic areas, and have no shoulders. 

Only Halls Hill Pike has been partially repaired. From the Murfreesboro city limits to the top of the hill past Daniel McKee School has seen improvements. This was after a high number of pedestrian deaths occurred in the area. 

A single-vehicle roll-over crash on Bradyville Pike is the latest critical injury accident. 

Bradyville Pike Progress

Mayor McFarland checked with Murfreesboro Transportation Director Jim Kerr for a STATUS REPORT ON BRADYVILLE PIKE. 

Dealing with the Right of Way for the improvements to Bradyville Pike: Out of 155 tracts of land, 152 have been appraised, 148 negotiated and 140 recorded. 

Coordination of the utilities is a major problem. 

• Circulate final ROW Revision plan set to utility companies, requesting any final revised responses, relocation plans and estimates (Utilities should return response within 45 days per state guidelines)
• Hold final utility coordination meeting opportunity
• Prepare/assemble utility certification package, including information required from utility companies and executed relocation contracts between City and company
• Coordinate review, comments and updates of utility certification package with TDOT R3 Utility office

Update Flashing Caution Lights

Deputy Director Ram Balachandran gives an update on the testing and implementation of Flashing Yellow Left Turn Arrows.

Sometime in June, 2022, the City of Murfreesboro Transportation Department tested out the “Flashing Yellow” left turn signal at two intersections in the downtown area (Lytle St & Maple St and Lytle St and Walnut St).  The goal is to familiarize the motoring public on the flashing yellow left turn arrow replacing the green ball for permissive left turns.

During the testing period, we received a few positive feedback and no negative comments or complaints from the motoring public. 

National traffic studies demonstrate that the drivers had fewer crashes with flashing yellow arrows than with traditional green ball signals for left turns.  Some motorists are confused by the green ball at turn signals, thinking they could proceed without yielding to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. 

Federal Highway Administration researched and studied the “Flashing Yellow” arrow operation and in 2009 adopted it as a better alternative display for permissive left turns. 

The City adopted the new display in December, 2022 and will be incorporating flashing yellow arrows in upcoming projects and programmatically upgrading all our existing traffic signal.