Worst Traffic Lights in Lubbock – Our Top Five

This traffic light is frustrating because at no matter what speed or direction you approach it, it will always turn red at the last second. You could speed up to it from 82nd street traveling 50mph, or sneak up on it after exiting the loop, but somehow it always manages to stop you, even if it's only for a few infuriating seconds. What makes this light even worse is the almost certain scenario that a soccer mom in an Escalade will cut you off as she pulls from the Sonic parking lot. The short duration of the light is almost like a mockery of your busy schedule, because seriously, is 30 seconds at a light really all that necessary?

This light is particularly pesky if you're heading north on Slide Road. You've just managed to find a small gap in traffic and have made a risky turn out of the Chick-fil-a parking lot, and now you're subjected to a line of cars that spans almost two blocks. Holding your place in line is impossible unless you bully your way forward, because the sheer number of people pulling out from parking lots can freeze the line for several light cycles. The light frankly isn't set to handle such a large flood of vehicles. It doesn't stay green long enough, and receives traffic flow not only from the 20-plus businesses in the area, but also from the more southern areas of Slide road. Why people even stop at this light I don't know; there is a variety of back-roads and access roads that can help cheat your way around it.

Although traffic congestion at this light has decreased since construction has been wrapped up at the loop, this light still poses an annoying obstacle while commuting in Lubbock. If you want to turn, especially onto north Frankford, the turn signal is way too short. Stop and go traffic on Frankford next to Academy makes things move even slower. Couple that with people making u-turns onto west 19th and you have the perfect formula for traffic-light-frustration.

During the school year, this light is a pain. It holds up access to every business near Tech along University. Vehicles tend to pile up at the light in the right-hand lane, making it even harder to park or pull out at businesses like Freebirds. Pedestrians cross during green lights, meaning you miss a few light cycles before finally being allowed to drive through the intersection. You also have to keep an eye out for tech students, who frequently cut you off and turn during red lights. Who can blame them? They've probably been waiting there for fifteen minutes.

This light is so terrible, it raises the question of why it's still in operation at all. The light on University and 82nd feels like it can take ten minutes to get through during rush hour. Like the other bad lights in Lubbock, turning at this light is the worst. Construction in the area has most of the streets knocked down to one-lane traffic, and business access is very limited. As you can see in the picture, traffic backs up here for blocks. Honestly, I'm not sure why anyone would sit and wait at this light, which can easily be argued as the worst light in the City of Lubbock.