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Q. My wife and I are frequent visitors to Falls Pointe Shopping Center. In the past year or so the traffic at the shopping center has grown, as well as the general traffic up and down Falls of Neuse Road because of continued construction north.

This increased traffic has made it virtually impossible to make a left turn out of the main entrance of Falls Pointe Shopping Center and onto Falls of Neuse without taking your life into your own hands!

We have been looking for the city to finally put a traffic signal at the entrance of the shopping center to assist.

Well, several weeks ago, a traffic signal (not yet activated) was installed -- not at the main entrance to Falls Pointe, but rather at a smaller access road (Morrocroft Drive) south of the entrance and less than 50 yards from the Litchford/Falls of Neuse intersection.

This positioning makes no sense, not only because it is so close to the Litchford Road intersection but because Morrocroft Drive is a very small "service" road adjacent to one side of Falls Pointe with an already very congested left or right turn into and out of Falls Pointe behind Blockbuster video store. This will be made even worse when the new "red light" backs up traffic on Morrocroft Road.

My question is ... why is the traffic light not logically positioned at the main entrance to Falls Pointe Shopping Center?

-- Wes Jones, Raleigh

Q. The short answer to your question is that studies showed a light placed at Morrocroft would be a better choice than the entrance to the shopping center, according to H.P. Humphries, traffic signal systems manager for the City of Raleigh.

Humphries says the city studied both locations in 2004, and then recommended that the state Department of Transportation install the light at Morrocroft.

A light at both sites would not be feasible. In situations like the one at Falls Pointe, sometimes putting a light at just one of two studied locations can have a positive effect on both.

"Even though there's not a light at the entrance, [the light at Morrocroft] may still help people trying to get out" by providing gaps in traffic, Humphries said.

The distance of Morrocroft from Litchford and Durant Roads as well as the volume of traffic carried on each road and accident rates were considerations for the city in choosing Morrocroft for the light.

A light at the shopping center's main entrance might have been tricky to coordinate with the Durant/Falls intersection, Humphries said.

According to a spokesman from the DOT, the light at Morrocroft should be up and running by the end of next week.