Can you make Myrtle Beach traffic signals change faster? City says you can. What we found
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The city of Myrtle Beach is trying to make sure people don’t cross the line. Literally.
The city posted on its Facebook page Tuesday that if drivers pull up past the white stop line at a red light in Myrtle Beach, the sensor won’t detect your vehicle, causing the light to not turn green. The post added that “You’ll be stuck there until another car pulls up to activate the traffic light.”
According to the post, most traffic signals use an electromagnetic loop in the pavement behind the stop bars that detects when a car has pulled up. There are also cameras that detect cars, but they are pointed at the space behind the stop bar. So if you drive beyond the stop line the sensors may not know you’re there.
The Sun News decided to see if the traffic lights would or wouldn’t change depending on where your vehicle is located.
A reporter went to four intersections in two parts of the city and timed how long it took for the traffic light to turn green when parked behind the stop bar, in front or on top of it.
And, the answer: It depends.
When stopped at busy intersections, there were enough other waiting vehicles that it didn’t matter where a vehicle was stopped. The light changed at regular intervals.
However, at intersections with little to no traffic, a driver had to wait longer if parked too far over the white stop bar.
At two of intersections, 67th Avenue and Kings Highway and 76th Avenue and Kings Highway, where a vehicle stopped did not seem to impact the time it took for the light to turn green. At both intersections, there were enough vehicles either behind or on the other side of the street that although the sensor may not have detected the lead vehicle, it detected the other motorists.
At two intersections in downtown Myrtle Beach, however, the result was much different.
When stopped correctly at the intersection of 9th Avenue North and Broadway Street, it would take the light about 20 to 30 seconds to switch from red to green.
But when parked in the crosswalk, or over the stop bar, the light would take up to three minutes. It would not change until another car pulled up or until the driver moved the vehicle several feet back.
At 9th Avenue and Kings Highway, it took about 30 seconds for the light to change when stopped correctly, but 45 seconds when the vehicle stopped on top of the stop line.
Although pulling forward may not impact the light cycle at a busy intersection, that doesn’t mean you should do it.
It is illegal for a car to enter a crosswalk unless there is sufficient space for the car to exit, according to Myrtle Beach law. You also do not want to block the crosswalk as it can prevent pedestrians from crossing.
This story was originally published February 23, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
