ELY – The city’s six-week traffic signal experiment got off to a rocky start this week, with police already reporting multiple violations as drivers failed to stop at flashing red lights along Sheridan Street.
The Ely Police Department posted a traffic alert on social media warning that stoplights are now flashing red and must be treated as all-way stops. Extra patrols have been deployed to monitor compliance and educate drivers about the temporary change.
Police Chief Chad Houde said he personally witnessed several violations Monday morning while observing the intersection at Third and Sheridan.
“There were some slow rolls. One guy slowed but didn’t stop,” Houde said. “So I stopped that guy and just explained why they’re doing things differently for a while, and why the study was being done.”
The test, which began Monday and will continue for several weeks, is part of a Minnesota Department of Transportation study examining whether the signals could be permanently replaced with all-way stop signs. MnDOT officials have said the change could reduce long-term maintenance costs, as the existing signals are nearing the end of their operational life.
Houde acknowledged the adjustment period will be challenging for some motorists.
“There are some people that it’s just going to be difficult to get used to, but it’s a four-way for six weeks, so you need to stop,” he said.
While the winter test may show minimal traffic disruption, Houde expressed concerns about a planned summer repeat of the experiment when tourist season brings significantly higher traffic volumes to the city.
“They’re going to do it in the summer, and I got to be honest, we’re not looking forward to that one,” Houde said. “You don’t really see an impact right now, but you’re going to have it backed up in the summer.”
Despite understanding MnDOT’s cost-saving rationale, the Ely Police Department remains opposed to permanently removing the traffic signals.
“It makes sense why they’re doing it. They’re trying to save money by not having to reinstall traffic lights,” Houde said. “The Ely Police Department wants the stop lights to remain.”
Houde also advocated for broader traffic safety improvements throughout the city, including adding stop signs at uncontrolled intersections where tourists unfamiliar with local traffic patterns frequently cause accidents.
“We are all about safety, and tourists don’t know how uncontrolled intersections work, which leads to accidents yearly,” he said.
The police department is asking drivers to exercise extra caution and verify cross traffic has stopped before proceeding through the affected intersections during the test period.