TOLEDO, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to alert drivers to be extra cautious for a new traffic pattern as they head east on the Anthony Wayne Trail toward downtown Toledo.
Drivers used to have a protected left turn when turning off AWT onto South Detroit Avenue. But now, they have to yield to oncoming traffic, and if you're not paying attention, some say it could lead to a crash.
"They (the lights) were all green, meaning that everybody could go straight, or they could turn. Then you have people going west, as well. That's dangerous," said Maumee resident Dennis Bergman, who often drives through the intersection.
Bergman said he's had problems figuring out how the new traffic light patterns work, along with other drivers on the road.
"The (green) arrow is fine, but having the green light fully come on like that, it kind of confuses people. I've seen people pulling out, then not knowing if they could go or if they should just sit in the intersection," he said.
ODOT spokesperson Kelsie Hoagland said she understands where the confusion comes from.
"It's a little bit different. It definitely does feel different for a motorist who's been traveling down the trail and then turning onto Detroit for most of their lives," she said.
However, she said it's all a part of a multi-step process as construction work on the trail that began in 2023 wraps up.
"That was our first step, putting out those signs that notify that there is a new pattern at hand and then we are going to be adding additional signage on the lightpost itself that will indicate it's a left permitted after yield," Hoagland said.
Bergman said he's glad to now know about the new pattern. But he'd still rather see it change.
"It was confusing, but now that I know that (the change) is there, I'll be looking for it," he said. "I still think it should be changed, because there's a lot of people that travel through this area that aren't from here and that can cause an accident, especially them not knowing about it."
"I think what would help with them would be them changing the timing for the arrow and not allow a solid green light for you to turn when people are still going west," Bergman suggested.
The Maumee Police Department told WTOL 11 on Monday that it had not received any reports of crashes due to the change.
Hoagland added that ODOT continues to encourage drivers to pay extra attention as construction begins to wrap up and temporary lane closures begin.