Q: What's the story about enforcement of the "no left turn" sign that prohibits left turns from Brandon Avenue onto Deyerle Road from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m.?

This sign is routinely disregarded by people who go ahead and make this turn. Occasionally a police patrol car will watch this intersection, but it has little effect because the officers aren't there often enough.

People drive 45-50 mph through there and the folks who make that left turn block the street for people trying to enter Brandon Avenue from Corporate Circle, where there are several new businesses.

-Bruce Seligman, Roanoke

A: People can talk for hours - even for years - about this intersection.

Besides your frustration trying to drive straight across Brandon, other callers say the speed on Brandon makes any sort of turn risky.

Drivers point to other traffic-creating developments in recent years, including the Brandon Oaks assisted living center, the Lutheran Nursing Home and some retail and service businesses.

That's a motorists' summary.

Others with a voice in this issue include Roanoke police, the city traffic engineers and residents of the neighborhood.

You focused on enforcement. Here's what the police department says, through spokeswoman Shelly Alley:

"The location does receive regular enforcement, but the intersection itself is not as prone to collisions as some others.

"Posting an officer visibly at this intersection every time the restriction is in place" would go a long way toward curbing the left-turn violations, but "police responsibilities do not allow that type of assignment to one intersection."

The hours when turns are restricted are the same hours that people get up in the morning and discover overnight break-ins and vandalism to their cars and homes - or when they get home after work and discover the same sort of violations. Calls to 911 peak during those hours, and 911 gets priority over intersection duties, Alley said.

Police don't ignore the turn restrictions. But they can't watch this spot all the time.

While traffic has increased, the city has measured its volume and it doesn't warrant a traffic light, said Ken King, transportation manager for Roanoke.

King acknowledged the intersection is less than ideal. Because left turns from Brandon are legal for 20 hours each day, motorists get confused.

Alley said many of the violators cited at this intersection are nearby residents. "What is legal at one point is illegal five minutes later," Alley said.

Then there's the residents' viewpoint.

The signs prohibiting left turns at certain hours are there because the Greater Deyerle Neighborhood Association wants them instead of a traffic light. There's a signed memorandum of understanding on file between the association and city government stating this position.

The reason: Residents don't want traffic from Virginia 419 cutting through the neighborhood toward downtown or to Peters Creek Road. City government has acknowledged their viewpoint.

Nevertheless, the neighborhood itself has seen traffic increase by more than 30 percent the past six years, said Bob Caudle, past president of the neighborhood association.

Under terms of the association's agreement with the city, the neighbors could request a traffic light based on that increase, Caudle said. But traffic engineers here, in Richmond and at Virginia Tech told him a light would bring even more cars into the neighborhood - a concept that Caudle doubted until he heard it reinforced by several experts.

Jennifer Pfister, current president of the association, said the growing neighborhood, now up to 1,300 homes, seems about evenly divided on whether residents would like to have a light at Brandon and Deyerle.

But accident data and professional studies of driver behavior don't support the light concept.

Q: What's up with the traffic light at the main entrance to Tanglewood Mall? I drive through there usually between 5:30 and 5:50 a.m. The traffic light at the main entrance stops traffic on Virginia 419 without traffic exiting Tanglewood. The light will only stay green on 419 for about 20 seconds and then turns back to red. It's kind of frustrating.

-Bruce Rakes, Roanoke

A: There was a signal malfunction. The Virginia Department of Transportation began making repairs several days ago and hoped to have them complete by today.

The malfunction wasn't apparent in heavier daytime traffic; it could only be noticed in the wee hours.

Got a question or comment about the streets and roads of the Roanoke area? Give us a call at 981-3351 or e-mail ray.reed@roanoke.com. Maybe we can find an answer. Please include your name and phone number.