Count us among the confused when, while turning from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard onto Elm Street just a week ago, we were astonished to see a flashing yellow arrow and a new sign offering an explanation. Wary of reading anything at all in the middle of the street, we simply made sure no one was coming from the south, then made our turn left into East Waco.

That said, we approve of the city’s move toward traffic signals that don’t keep left-turn traffic hung up so long at intersections, especially after reading about reasons for the change in Tribune-Herald staff writer Erin Quinn’s story a day or so after our trip down Elm.

Two summers ago, when the price of a gallon of gasoline was edging toward $5, transportation experts urged us to avoid traffic signals where motorists might get hung up for two or three minutes, waiting in turn lanes at lights that took their own good time before sending us on our merry way.

That’s part of the logic behind new traffic signals around town. Thanks to federal stimulus funds that aim to reduce emissions, the city has tweaked lights at several intersections, cutting the time folks sit in left-turn lanes burning gas, spewing unhealthy emissions and whiling away chunks of life, all while we yearn for green.

Some motorists might take a little more time before figuring out what the new signals mean — like, for instance, that splash of red in the middle of the yellow cycle — but overall we approve. Quinn tells us the green arrow indicates the coast is clear for us to turn, that we have the right of way. The yellow flashing arrow permits us to turn left also but only if there’s no oncoming traffic, which has the right of way.

The new signals appear not only at Elm and MLK but at four intersections along Bosque Boulevard between Valley Mills Drive and 34th Street, including the busy intersection at New Road. City engineers also have arranged quicker stops at those Bosque intersections with New Road, Lake Air, Wooded Acres and Valley Mills drives.

If you do get confused, just remember this: Yellow always means caution.

One more thing: The intent of these new signals is to keep cars, pickups and SUVs from idling long periods at traffic stops, which may help save us from running afoul of federal emission standards. Motorists owe it to our city to return the favor by parking at local restaurants and going inside to pick up orders rather than sitting in the drive-through, letting the engine run and further fouling our air. A little effort by each of us can improve the lot in life for all.

RELATED SEARCHES

• New traffic lights should help make key Waco intersections quicker, safer