‘Nightmare’ Ulster County Traffic Light Has Suddenly Disappeared

And just like that... it's gone. One of the most popular commutes in Ulster County looks a little different after a controversial traffic light has been taken down.

The traffic signal, which had support from some local government officials, also caused some of the longest lines of traffic in the Hudson Valley. But what will the drive home look like now that the light is gone?

Controversial Traffic Light in Ulster County, NY

The divisive light was installed in April of 2023 to help control traffic created by a construction detour. Soon, however, the signal that was set up at the intersection of Chapel Hill Rd. and Route 44 in Highland, NY was causing mile-long backups on the rural road (below).

Traffic Caused by Temporary Traffic Light in Highland, NY

While the backups were frustrating, many residents (along with some officials in the Town of Lloyd), were supportive of the light, and expressed interest in turning the temporary traffic signal into a permanent solution. Now that the light has been removed, however, traffic looks much different (below).

Traffic Light Removed in Highland, NY

On Monday October 8th at 5pm, the line of cars waiting at the reinstalled stop sign was a fraction of the length experienced at the same a year ago. While this was only a single day of observation, it will be interesting to see if removing the traffic light will alleviate the long line of vehicles that plagued Chapel Hill Rd.

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It would be unfair to disregard the completion of construction in Lloyd, NY as a factor as well. The influx of vehicles unable to take their normal route undoubtedly led to longer traffic lines than once construction was finished. Only time will tell if the return of a stop sign was the correct choice.