ORLANDO, Fla. -- Two-hundred seconds -- that’s nearly three and a half minutes.

Think of all the things that you can do in that time.

  • Orlando officials explain factors in traffic signal lengths
  • Factors: high traffic volume, emergency vehicles, pedestrians, etc.
  • Traffic signal issues? Call 24-hour hotline 407-246-2020

According to the City of Orlando, that's also the cycle time of one of Orlando's longest traffic signal -- Kirkman Road at Conroy Road.

There are many factors as to why this signal is this long -- factors like moving high volumes of traffic, being able to get emergency vehicles through safely, pedestrians and bicyclists.

Despite this area having challenges with all of these, it's actually the downtown roads that are the most challenging.

"In order to keep those signals coordinated so they run as efficiently as possible, they have to communicate with each other,” said Chris Cairns, the Division Manager for Transportation Engineering for the City of Orlando.  “And there have been some challenges with some of the communications falling down."

Take Hughey Avenue for example, which runs parallel to Interstate 4.

Despite being retimed back in 2016, the city admits that I-4 Ultimate construction has disrupted some of their fiber optic communications on Hughey Avenue.  When this happens, the signals act as isolated intersections.

Combine that with on and off road closures, and you suddenly have signal timing that doesn't make sense.

"I-4 is having some impacts on Hughey,” Cairns admitted. “They are proposing some changes for construction reasons.  So we are asking them to do some re-timing on Hughey to better accommodate those changes."

The future of traffic signals for the City of Orlando may be what is called an 'adaptive system'. Basically, the lights will be able to tell how many vehicles are coming in which direction and working within already set parameters, they can make adjustments on the fly.

For now, they are able to do some of this in-house.

"We have roughly 480 traffic signals connected where we can communicate with them from our traffic management center. That's part of the technology is being able to monitor what's happening and making adjustments remotely,” Cairns said.

The city admits that the system doesn’t work everywhere, but they are willing to try anything to help you avoid a three-minute light waiting for nobody.

City officials also advise that if you do have a traffic signal issue to contact them directly at their 24-hour hotline 407-246-2020.

How long are the lights in your corridor?

Note that the data shown below is representative of the most common cycle lengths along the corridor for the time period.

Time periods in general are AM: 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.; midday: 10 a.m. to 2/3 p.m.; PM: 2/3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Anderson St./South St. (Mills Ave. to Lake Underhill Rd.)

  • AM: 140 seconds
  • Midday: 100 seconds
  • PM: 140 seconds

Colonial Drive (Pete Parrish Blvd. to Old Cheney Hwy.)

  • AM: 170 seconds
  • Midday: 180 seconds
  • PM: 180 seconds

Conroy Road (Kirkman Oaks Plaza to Kirkman Rd.)

  • AM: 200 seconds
  • Midday: 180 seconds
  • PM: 230 seconds

Conroy Road (Middlebrook Road to Eastgate Dr.)

  • AM: 160 seconds
  • Midday: 180 seconds
  • PM: 200 seconds

Curry Ford Rd. (Bumby Ave. to Gaston Foster Rd.)

  • AM: 150 seconds
  • Midday: 140 seconds
  • PM: 160 seconds

Downtown Orlando (Division Ave., Hughey Ave., Garland Ave., Orange Ave., Magnolia Ave., Rosalind Ave.)

  • AM: 110 seconds
  • Midday: 110 seconds
  • PM: 110 seconds

Edgewater Drive (Dartmouth St. to Maury Rd.)

  • AM: 120 seconds
  • Midday: 140 seconds
  • PM: 140 seconds

Hiawassee Rd. (Mardell Ct. to Raleigh St.)

  • AM: 150 seconds
  • Midday: 160 seconds
  • PM: 160 seconds

International Drive (Oakridge Rd. to Universal Blvd.)

  • AM: 120 seconds
  • Midday: 150 seconds
  • PM: 160 seconds

John Young Parkway (Harwood St./Business Center Blvd. to Shader Rd.)

  • AM: 170 seconds
  • Midday: 180 seconds
  • PM: 180 seconds

John Young Parkway (33rd St./35th St. to First Baptist Church)

  • AM: 160 seconds
  • Midday: 160 seconds
  • PM: 180 seconds

Maguire Blvd. (Robinson St. to Bennett Rd.)

  • AM: 80 seconds
  • Midday: 85 seconds
  • PM: 85 seconds

Michigan St. ( S Orange Ave. to Bumby Ave.)

  • AM: 160 seconds
  • Midday: 160 seconds
  • PM: 160 seconds

Millenia Blvd. (Radebaugh Way to Gardens Park Blvd./Tradition Pkwy.)

  • AM: 140 seconds
  • Midday: 160 seconds
  • PM: 180 seconds