Traffic light installed at 12th and River in Holland

HOLLAND — A new traffic light has been installed at 12th Street and River Avenue in Holland.

The traffic signal, the city hopes, will make it easier and safer for walkers and bikers to cross busy River Avenue at the south end of Centennial Park at Holland City Hall and Herrick District Library.

A news release from the city said the signal would be set to a flashing yellow light for the first week of operation before beginning its regular traffic control cycle, which the city said would be coordinated with the other signals on River Avenue.

Before the addition of the traffic signal, River Avenue traffic did not stop at 12th Street, while 12th Street traffic had stop signs at River Avenue in both directions.

The location was chosen based on community input, the Oz Project art installations adjacent to the intersection, MAX Transit bus stops nearby and proximity to the library and City Hall.

A traffic study commissioned by the city in 2019 found a traffic signal was not warranted by the car and pedestrian numbers or the crash numbers at the intersection, but the study concluded the traffic signal would be beneficial because it would reduce the chance of serious crashes and make the area more pedestrian-friendly.