NorthWestern Energy is reporting a significant power outage in the city of Bozeman on Friday morning.
According to their outage map, more than 2,000 customers are affected near the MSU campus, with other outages reported from other areas of town.
Traffic is snarled at Main St. and 19th, with traffic lights not working.
In Montana, if a traffic light is completely out, treat the intersection as a 4-way stop, meaning all vehicles must come to a complete stop, and proceed cautiously when it's safe, yielding to vehicles that arrived first or those on the right. Flashing yellow arrows mean slow down and yield to traffic/pedestrians before turning left, while flashing red signals should be treated as stop signs. Always yield to pedestrians and follow any directions from law enforcement.
When all lights are out (blackout)
- Stop completely: Treat the intersection as if stop signs were on all corners.
- Right-of-Way: The first vehicle to arrive at the intersection goes first; if two arrive at once, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way.
- Caution: Proceed slowly and be aware of other drivers who may not know the rules.
When a single light is flashing
- Flashing Yellow Arrow: Slow down, yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, and turn left when it's safe.
- Flashing Red: Treat it like a stop sign (a "stop and go" situation).
General safety at malfunctioning signals
- Yield to Pedestrians: Always give way to pedestrians in crosswalks.
- Follow Officers: Obey any signals or directions from police or traffic control personnel.
- Stay Alert: Expect the unexpected and don't assume other drivers will behave predictably.
