Enough Is Enough: Casper’s Left Turn Problem Needs Fixing

There is one thing that I have heard Casperites complain about often, and to be honest, I am also among that number, but the issue is that we don't have enough dedicated left turn signals at some of our busiest intersections.

Earlier this year (October 2025), we posted a question to our listeners about what traffic conditions concerned us the most, and the lack of dedicated left turning signals was mentioned the most.

Other than the fact that it makes travel times longer and somewhat more annoying, there are safety concerns as well.

Studies have shown that left turn signals:

Reduces collisions
Prevents head-on crashes
Protects pedestrians

As far as the flow of traffic, there are also several positive factors to left turn signals, including:

Improved efficiency
Reduced congestion
More predictable movement

Get our free mobile app

While there are several "flashing yellow arrow signals" for left turns, personally they don't seem as safe to me (as I was in a major accident with a flashing yellow light, where I had the right-of-way, just a few years ago).

Back in 2011, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT), released some interesting information about the yellow turn arrows:

Safer - A national study demonstrated that drivers had fewer crashes with the flashing yellow left-turn arrow than with the traditional yield-on-green signals.
Less delay - You have more opportunities to make a left turn with the flashing yellow left-turn arrow than with the traditional signals.
More flexible - The new display provides traffic engineers with more options to better handle variable traffic volumes.

It doesn't have to be everywhere, but the busiest, most congested areas in Casper could use more dedicated left turn signals, and in my personal opinion, that's a good five to ten specific places, which to me, seems like a very attainable option.