Hundreds petition for traffic light at US 280 intersection

Chelsea Park residents want a traffic light, and Bobby Clayton Jr. has more than 500 signatures to prove it.

A few months ago, Clayton started a petition asking the Alabama Department of Transportation to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Chelsea Park Drive and U.S. 280.

Clayton, who is a UPS delivery driver and has lived in Chelsea Park since 2007, said he started the petition because of the high morning and rush hour traffic, as well as the number of school buses that come through the intersection.

“I’ve been here for 10 years, and I just don’t know why, with the school system, that they hadn’t seen it as a need,” Clayton said.

Clayton said after receiving enough signatures, he planned to speak with Todd Connell, ALDOT’s district manager for Shelby County.

“I wanted to get 100 names first so  it’d let him know that I was serious,” Clayton said. “Then when I got 100, I got 200, then I got 300.”

The petition gained traction on the Chelsea Neighborhood Watch Facebook page, where residents also discussed drivers traveling above the speed limit and future development in Chelsea Park as their reason for supporting. It had received more than 500 signatures as of press time, and after speaking with Connell, Clayton said he seemed receptive to the idea of adding a traffic signal. 

Chester Lewis has one of those 511 signatures on the petition. As a State Farm insurance agent, Lewis said many of his clients’ claims have been from accidents occurring at the intersection.

He said a cautionary light during the day would be fine, but a red light is necessary during the morning traffic hours.

“A small inconvenience to save someone’s life is well worth it in my opinion,” Lewis said.

In order to consider a traffic signal for an intersection, ALDOT spokesperson Linda Crockett said her agency first must complete a traffic study. These studies typically must be requested by city or county officials and are not completed because of online petitions, she said.

However, in this case, ALDOT did complete a traffic study for the intersection of Chelsea Park Drive and U.S. 280 and is reviewing a proposal about the intersection, Crockett said.

“We chose to have the study made to determine the extent of the issue being reported,” Crockett said in an email.

Reviewing the study will determine if a traffic light is needed, she said.

“We’re working to expedite it, but I don’t have a timeline at this time,” Crockett said.

Although a traffic signal may not resolve all issues at the intersection, Clayton said he believes it is an important step toward combating the 65 mph speeds on U.S. 280.

“That’s why we need a traffic light so bad,” he said. “Keep in mind, people will still run traffic lights, but at least it’ll slow traffic down.”