LAKELAND, Fla. — If you have been around downtown Lakeland lately, you might have noticed a change when it comes to traffic lights.

The city switched several downtown traffic signals to four-way stops earlier this year.

Alejandro Aybar-Mota works with Lakeland Downtown Development Authority. He feels the change has worked out so far.

“It’s been an adjustment period for sure,” said Aybar-Mota. “But overall, I think the reviews have been pretty positive.”

The traffic lights are still there, except now they flash red. The city also added stop signs to the intersections.

The city made this switch to help move traffic along and also help pedestrian safety by cutting down on speeding.

“Traffic can move a little bit more freely through downtown without having to worry about stopping and waiting for a traffic light cycle,” Aybar-Mota said.

Aybar-Mota also believes the switch has even helped businesses in the growing downtown area.

“It forces everyone to slow down a bit. Then you start noticing business that are here that you may not have noticed before if you were driving at a high rate of speed,” Aybar-Mota said.

The city made this switch at seven different intersections in downtown Lakeland, including three along Main Street and three along Lemon Street.

While some were worried about safety, city officials cited national studies showing that switching to four-way stops can actually improve safety at intersections with low traffic volume.

The switch is expected to be permanent, though Lakeland can always review it in the future.

Other local cities have made the switch to four-way stops in some places. The city of Tampa recently changed some intersections as well.

“I think it’s been really efficient for the downtown area, especially as it continues to expand and grow,” Aybar-Mota said.