Downtown Sioux Falls Has A Problem And I Can’t Stay Quiet Anymore

Look at the picture of the traffic light. What do you see? Better yet, what *don't* you see?

There are no left turn arrows at the intersection of East 14th Street and South Phillips Avenue. The picture is driving eastbound on 14th Street; the left turn arrow is missing on the westbound side too.

Downtown Sioux Falls is a busy place during the workweek and especially on the weekends. If you want to turn onto Phillips Avenue from either direction on 14th Street, then you have typically need to wait. (The intersection wasn't very busy on a Sunday afternoon when the pic was taken.)

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I don't remember exactly when the lights were removed, but they have been gone for some time now. Whenever I go downtown I think, "maybe the arrows will be back" only to see wires hanging there.

Eastbound 14th Street

Westbound 14th Street

Why did the City of Sioux Falls remove the left turn arrows from this busy intersection? You would think that if the Street Department had not intended to replace the arrows, they would have removed the wires or at least tucked them into the arm. But the wires are left danging.

So why have the arrow lights not been replaced? It can't be for lack of money given how high property taxes are in the city. One could say the Street Department doesn't have enough workers or they can't get new lights because of supply chain issues, but I'm pretty sure the lights have been gone since before any of those things happened.

I do realize this "problem" definitely qualifies as a "first world problem" and that there are far more important issues in the world and right here in Sioux Falls. However, if something as simple as replacing left turn signals would make a driver's day a little less stressful, then it seems worth it to me.