SRF has been working with the City of Minnetonka and Hennepin County to retrofit the City’s traffic signals with flashing yellow arrows. According to MnDOT, this type of signal indication not only improves the efficiency of traffic but also increases driver safety. A flashing yellow arrow allows drivers to make a permissive left turn once there is no oncoming traffic or pedestrians/bicycles in the crosswalk.
SRF completed a study to evaluate and prioritize the City’s signalized intersections, and then ranked each intersection based on cost and potential benefit. A five-year phasing plan for implementation was developed based on the rankings, funding, and geographical areas. SRF completed flashing yellow arrow and LED luminaire retrofit designs for 20 Hennepin County-owned signals. This year, 11 traffic signals were converted, and another nine are planned for early 2019. The City of Minnetonka is planning for 62 intersections to have flashing yellow arrows by the year 2022.