The Most Infuriating Traffic Light In U.S. History Used To Make New Jersey Driver Bonkers

Nobody likes sitting at red lights when they've got places to be — but there's a red light in the United States that's red for 57 minutes of each hour, causing immense stress and potential chaos during morning commutes beyond the imaginable. The light, which is red for two minutes and 15 seconds at a time, belongs to West Milford, New Jersey, at the Clinton Road and Route 23 intersection. Back in 2001, the light could be red for up to five minutes and 33 seconds, and the New York Times dubbed it the longest traffic light in America. But why was it so long?

The county's Department of Transportation Project Engineer, Maurice Rached, told the New York Times it was actually the result of trying to deal with an overwhelming influx of traffic on Route 23. Since the highway couldn't be widened due to surrounding stores, the Department of Transportation decided to increase the traffic light's wait time to allow more cars to pass on the main road. What was once a two minute and 40 second long light was increased to over five minutes during rush hour — something that required the Department of Transportation to rework the light's signals since it wasn't designed to stay red for more than 4 minutes and 15 seconds.

The Clinton Road traffic light led to an influx of complaints — at first, residents thought the light was broken. It even led the head of the New Jersey chapter of the National Motorists Association, Steven Carrellas, to call for the elimination of traffic lights. He told the New York Times that this would not only speed up the intersection, but also save the town from a massive electricity bill. "It's an urban myth that higher speeds lead to more accidents,” he said in 2001. ”There's a smoothness factor. Faster, smoother traffic is generally safer than traffic that lumbers along haphazardly." In 2016, the DoT adjusted the light to its current two minutes and 15 seconds to keep traffic from backing up on the highway during rush hour.

While still quite frustrating, the infamous "longest traffic light" has definitely lost that title. Nevada residents have often complained about traffic lights in Las Vegas, with red lights lasting over three minutes and causing backed-up lines to sometimes wait for over 12 minutes to get through. Red lights along Highway 100 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have been reported to last well over three minutes. Boston, Massachusetts, residents are not fond of the traffic light near UMass Boston that sometimes stays red for three minutes. On the other side, a red light in Denton, Texas, may have the shortest cycle in the country, staying red for barely a second.

It's not just traffic lights that are longer these days — traffic in general is just a much more time-consuming experience. In the northeastern section of New Jersey, commuters sat in traffic for just eight hours of the year in 1982. In 1999, commuters spent 34 hours a year in traffic. However, traffic is even worse in other states in the country. A study by INRIX found that Los Angeles drivers spent 62 hours in traffic in 2021, and San Francisco commuters lost 64 hours. 

There are more cars on the road than ever before — the Federal Highway Administration reported that there were 284,614,269 registered vehicles in 2023. Despite more people and cars existing in the United States, the country is a bit behind with public transportation options, leading to the need for people to keep commuting by car even if the current infrastructure can barely handle it. If you want to avoid potential road rage — from yourself or others — stay away from the West Milford traffic light. It's still driving people bonkers.