Stangest Traffic Lights

[PHLBOS]

Peabody, MA along Route 114 (Margin St.) still has the old-school flashing green (flashing red on the bottom for minor streets) w/steady red-and-yellow for pedestrian crossings.

Driscoll St. intersection

and

Roycroft St. intersection

[PurdueBill]

Indeed there are some flashing green examples still around Boston, but a new install of overhead signals, flashing green, is amazing.  The only other I can think of offhand was in Malden but I last saw it 4 years ago--probably still there but would have to check.

I am surprised they were able in Salem to do a new flashing green install.  Not that I am complaining.  I've said before and I'll say again: flashing green is wasted right now as undefined/prohibited and it shouldn't be--it could be used everywhere for some purpose like in the Boston area, for pedestrian-actuated signals.  Then flashing yellow would be different.

[opspe]

Flashing green lights are used the same way in BC, for pedestrian crossings.  Or overused, in some areas.  Because their phasing is random, they destroy traffic flow when you put a succession of them along a major road.  Which is exactly the point, in Vancouver at least.

Rapidly lashing green is also used on some left turn signals to indicate protected movement, which is in line with how flashing green (called advance green) is used in the rest of the country.

[slorydn1]

This would be the 'Stangest stoplight that I have a picture of-2 in front of me plus the one I'm driving. 

[index]

Necro bump!!

It's related to the topic, so I believe I'm allowed to do this. I mentioned the signal in another topic, but I think it deserves a mention here, because, it's, well... Very strange, and I think it would contribute to discussion.

There's a drawbridge signal on US 17 Business in South Mills, North Carolina. As seen from newer street views, it has since been replaced, and as seen from even newer images, the signals have been replaced with typical pairs of yellow housing signals.

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.445995,-76.3269498,3a,27.1y,291.24h,87.96t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sEVsrUIKiYky0qeoTrf5Nhw!2e0!5s20071101T000000!7i3328!8i1664!6m1!1e1

Because the image is so grainy, it's not very easy to tell what's going on here. The lights are spaced apart from each other and the housing is a silvery color. The center light, that should obviously be yellow is green, and it appears to be smaller than the rest. There's a yellow object on the top I can't quite make out (it could be a warning bell for when the bridge is in operation), and the signal on the opposite side is completely fine, except it's not an allowed color and the center light is green. There is also the absence of a second signal on both sides.

[SignBridge]

I don't think that drawbridge signal is MUTCD approved, not that anyone enforces these standards. The Manual allows two options re: drawbridge signals. One is a standard type traffic light, and the other is two alternately flashing red lights, similar to a RR crossing signal, but in a vertical arrangement. The second type should only be used where bridge openings are infrequent. 

[cl94]

I don't think that drawbridge signal is MUTCD approved, not that anyone enforces these standards. The Manual allows two options re: drawbridge signals. One is a standard type traffic light, and the other is two alternately flashing red lights, similar to a RR crossing signal, but in a vertical arrangement. The second type should only be used where bridge openings are infrequent.

I've never seen the latter type. Buffalo uses a horizontal signal with 2 reds and a green in the middle because F the MUTCD.

[SignBridge]

Combined with a New Jersey style horizontal trombone-arm. Interesting.

[Ian]

I don't think that drawbridge signal is MUTCD approved, not that anyone enforces these standards. The Manual allows two options re: drawbridge signals. One is a standard type traffic light, and the other is two alternately flashing red lights, similar to a RR crossing signal, but in a vertical arrangement. The second type should only be used where bridge openings are infrequent.

I've never seen the latter type. Buffalo uses a horizontal signal with 2 reds and a green in the middle because F the MUTCD.

The drawbridge signals for the old Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Capital Beltway (I-95/495) between Virginia and Maryland near DC used to be set up the same way.

[index]

I don't think that drawbridge signal is MUTCD approved, not that anyone enforces these standards. The Manual allows two options re: drawbridge signals. One is a standard type traffic light, and the other is two alternately flashing red lights, similar to a RR crossing signal, but in a vertical arrangement. The second type should only be used where bridge openings are infrequent.

I've never seen the latter type. Buffalo uses a horizontal signal with 2 reds and a green in the middle because F the MUTCD.

The drawbridge signals for the old Woodrow Wilson Bridge on the Capital Beltway (I-95/495) between Virginia and Maryland near DC used to be set up the same way.

Based on these signals I'm going to assume the signal I mentioned is the same. Center green, outer red. (and a whole lot of other odd stuff) Apparently, this isn't MUTCD approved. Perhaps this was allowed in the past? (The whole center green light outer red light thing, not the weird spacing of the lights and the center light being smaller than the rest)

[doorknob60]

Sort of adding to the U-Turn signal discussion, this one with FYA popped up somewhat recently in Meridian, ID:



Only signal like it I've seen in person, though someone posted a similar one earlier in this thread. This intersection used to not have a marked turn lane or turn signal there. It was added when they put a median and blocked left turns to Rackham way (a terrible place for an intersection, it's immediately next to Eagle Rd.). Better than it was before, I guess, but Rackham is still in a terrible place. Looks like there's nothing there, but there's a park and ride, and in the fall, there is a big corn maze and fall festival type thing they do there, which attracts a lot of people.

[Rothman]

That picture looks like a scan of a photograph taken with film in the 1980s.  Has that fuzzy, grainy look to it.  Was there some sort of filter on your camera or phone?  Or do you actually somehow find film somehwere?

[cl94]

Saw these today when I was finishing Westchester. Downtown White Plains, next to the mall. Left LT signal has 4 lenses, right has 3. BOTH only have two heads used in normal operation: a red arrow and a bimodal yellow/green arrow. The 2 balls on the left and one on the right are only used for flash mode.

Edit: and the side street is as strange, if not stranger.

[SignGeek101]

That picture looks like a scan of a photograph taken with film in the 1980s.  Has that fuzzy, grainy look to it.  Was there some sort of filter on your camera or phone?  Or do you actually somehow find film somehwere?

Getting the feeling it's just Streetview...

https://goo.gl/maps/zmHrSszvgqD2

[Jet380]

A rather crowded-looking nine-aspect signal at Barrack St and The Esplanade, Perth:



https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-31.9569273,115.8591009,3a,63.7y,40.17h,80.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suehKAQIvkHLEZxOpOb_0dQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Saw these today when I was finishing Westchester. Downtown White Plains, next to the mall. Left LT signal has 4 lenses, right has 3. BOTH only have two heads used in normal operation: a red arrow and a bimodal yellow/green arrow. The 2 balls on the left and one on the right are only used for flash mode.

Edit: and the side street is as strange, if not stranger.

There are some turn signals in Westchester and Rockland that have the proper 3 arrows plus an extra red on top, I've heard its because those regions do not flash red arrows in flash mode.

There is another one of the funky 4 aspect signals in Hartsdale somewhere (cannot remember exacly where, bit it is right off I287

[cl94]

Saw these today when I was finishing Westchester. Downtown White Plains, next to the mall. Left LT signal has 4 lenses, right has 3. BOTH only have two heads used in normal operation: a red arrow and a bimodal yellow/green arrow. The 2 balls on the left and one on the right are only used for flash mode.

Edit: and the side street is as strange, if not stranger.

There are some turn signals in Westchester and Rockland that have the proper 3 arrows plus an extra red on top, I've heard its because those regions do not flash red arrows in flash mode.

There is another one of the funky 4 aspect signals in Hartsdale somewhere (cannot remember exacly where, bit it is right off I287

3 arrows with an extra red ball isn't particularly rare in New York. Until the 2009 MUTCD was adopted, state law prohibited the use of flashing arrows. Older installations in several parts of the state have the extra ball, most often if the through signals are hard to see from the turn lanes. The weird thing about these is the bimodal and, for one of them, the red and yellow balls.

[doorknob60]

That picture looks like a scan of a photograph taken with film in the 1980s.  Has that fuzzy, grainy look to it.  Was there some sort of filter on your camera or phone?  Or do you actually somehow find film somehwere?

Getting the feeling it's just Streetview...

https://goo.gl/maps/zmHrSszvgqD2

Yeah that's all it is. I have the street view link if you click on the image, but it's not the most obvious if you don't hover over it (or if you're on mobile).

[jon12791]

Speaking of flashing green, I am giddy with excitement at what I spied on street view as I was checking to see if any other old poles with the red and yellow stripes were still out there. 

At Lafayette St/route 1A-114 and Holly St in Salem, there was an ancient setup with flashing green for 1A and flashing bottom red for the cross street.  One would assume that it was bound to be extinct sometime.  Street View shows that instead, 1A got overhead signals sometime by a year ago, with the rest of the signals refurbished with new visors, black paint, and probably LED heads to replace incandescents, and the setup is still flashing green with no WALK signals.  So they consciously left it as flashing green when the overheads were put in.  (Moving back and forth in street view verifies this--green off/all dark, then green on a bump forward, etc.; bottom red on the side streets is another indication that the signals flash.)  Amazing that a new flashing green was put in place so recently, and I hope it is still there.

The intersection at Ocean Ave also got the same treatment, unfortunately losing a couple 8-8-8 signals, but now has more than one signal head per approach on 1A and includes flashing green.  It is astonishing and cool.

There's a flashing green still here in Wakefield...North Avenue (just south of 128) at Linda Road/Wolcott Avenue.

Was astonished by the one in Wakefield today! When was that installed? Your profile says you're 67 years old - do you remember it?

[traffic light guy]

Another strange type of traffic light, would probably be PennDOT's old 8" eagle signals that have the 12" red enlarger units. The bulbus nature of the red section makes the signal resemble a fish, that's why I call these signals "fishheads".  These are EXTREMELY rare, and I'm only aware of three of these, Ian has pictures of the other two. Decades ago, these were very common around PennDOT Distrcit 6:

Fish-head finned eagle signal by Traffic Light Guy, on Flickr

Pretty strange, indeed, Pennsylvania's old signals are very odd

[thenetwork]

One of the tallest signal poles I have ever seen:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4586739,-112.0777528,3a,75y,310.9h,95.77t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2XXtrkYmdqrLJZkugtkUHA!2e0!5s20110401T000000!7i13312!8i6656

[MNHighwayMan]

Well that's a first, for me: a transmission line tower also being used to support traffic signals.

[UCFKnights]

Well that's a first, for me: a transmission line tower also being used to support traffic signals.

I've seen that a bit in Florida, but only on span wires.

[jeffandnicole]

One of the tallest signal poles I have ever seen:

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4586739,-112.0777528,3a,75y,310.9h,95.77t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2XXtrkYmdqrLJZkugtkUHA!2e0!5s20110401T000000!7i13312!8i6656

Similar in nature to this 45' or so Traffic Camera pole, with a left turn traffic light mounted about 10' high on it: https://goo.gl/maps/WoXqzChCUpo

[roadfro]

Well that's a first, for me: a transmission line tower also being used to support traffic signals.

I've seen that a bit in Florida, but only on span wires.

Here's another one, at McCarran Blvd & Prater Way in Sparks, NV (Google Maps Street View). You don't really see this in new Nevada installations anymore.