The broken traffic light at the intersection of Hale and Prentice streets in the City of Norwich flashes in all directions. City officials have now passed a local law to remove the light in favor of a four-way stop. (Photo by Shawn Magrath)

NORWICH – The last city-owned traffic light at the intersection of Hale and Prentice streets will be removed upon an order passed by the city council on Tuesday.

City aldermen passed the local law in a five-one vote during a Common Council meeting Tuesday, effectively ending the local debate over removing the light in favor of a four-way stop at one of the city’s busiest intersections.

The 40-year-old light at the intersection of Hale and Prentice streets has been largely inoperable since mid-June, when failed mechanisms in the control panel were repaired only to see recurring problems a few days later. The city’s last attempt to repair the panel on June 20 resulted in a fix that lasted only a few hours.

Getting the traffic light up and running again starts at a cost of roughly $20,000 for updates. Conservative estimates for new lights and electrical upgrades come in even higher at about $58,000. It’s possible that long-lasting repairs may reach upwards of $100,000.

Removing the light is the recommended option of the Norwich Police, DPW, and the New York State Department of Transportation.

The city conducted a traffic count through July showing traffic flow across the Prentice-Hale intersection. State recommendations suggest a traffic light at intersections exceeding 6,000 vehicles per day; however, the Prentice-Hale intersection saw far less at 3,171 vehicles per day on Hale Street, 2,326 on Prentice Street, and 1,372 per day on the adjacent Midland Street. 

Those numbers, however, were collected prior to the start of the school year. Some officials argue the intersection will be much busier when classes resume in September.

The resolution to remove the light was not uncontested.

“I don’t support this,” said Ward Five Alderman David Zieno. “I believe we need to restore the traffic light or purchase a new light at that intersection. It’s not safe enough without a traffic light.”

Zieno also said feedback he’s received is “overwhelmingly in support” of repairing the light, and the city’s own traffic commission would prefer it.

The Hale-Prentice intersection light is the last remaining traffic light that the city bears responsibility for. All others are installed along state-owned corridors and are owned and maintained by the New York State DOT. Even so, Zieno has argued that removing it may come at the cost of risking public safety, particularly due to the proximity to the Norwich middle and high schools.

“I’m not beyond saying that if a four-way stop doesn’t work, then we take a different approach putting in or installing a light,” said Ward Four Alderman William Loomis, citing recommendations of the Norwich DPW, police, and state DOT. Loomis favored removing the light in place of a four-way stop.