Why do all the Southern states use a certain traffic light installation?

[ColossalBlocks]

Why does all the Southern states use this traffic light installation?

https://goo.gl/maps/BiqgAnAgJT62

[jeffandnicole]

Huh?  They don't.

https://goo.gl/maps/bMXva6NbXxH2

https://goo.gl/maps/BCwfZGCdE9R2

https://goo.gl/maps/jHt4MechSAn

https://goo.gl/maps/o4BXyXSfcCE2

[froggie]

My guess is he's referring to the doghouse signal, which is fairly prevalent across the Southern states (with the notable exception of Arkansas).  But its use goes far beyond the South.  Amongst other non-Southern states, Vermont uses it as well.

[freebrickproductions]

Hanging signals from mast arms is somewhat uncommon in the two states I've seen it used the most in: Alabama and Tennessee. Doghouses on the other hand have been the choice for protected/permissive turn signals for a long time.

SM-G900V

[Avalanchez71]

Why does all the Southern states use this traffic light installation?

https://goo.gl/maps/BiqgAnAgJT62

Now the question is why does Google Maps mark Riverside Dr as SR 8183?  I have never heard of this route.  Is this an error?  Is this an internal designation for the road outside of the city limits that the county has for inventory purposes?  It looks like Google shows some four digit county roads in the area that begin with the number 8.  This one is marked with the state route marker in lieu of the county route marker.

[lordsutch]

At least in Georgia doghouses seem to be on the way out in favor of dedicated FYA signals (some three-lens, most four-lens)   for GDOT installations. Span-wire, on the other hand, has yet to get the tacky funeral it deserves.

[cl94]

I know I haven't spent all that much time in the South, but I can't remember seeing a single installation like that down there.

[brownpelican]

Only way they're hanging in Mississippi and Louisiana is if they're hung from a wire span.

[roadman65]

Florida has been going mast arm some time and in Miami- Dade and Collier Counties the horizontal mounts on the mast arms are becoming the total norm there.  Plus the Panhandle in some areas like Panama City, Tallahassee, and Pensacola I believe have ditched the span wires completely on all new installations for horizontal mount heads on mast arms as well.

However, its not set in stone per FDOT.  Some new installations in Orange and Osceola still use span wires and over four intersections I have seen went from mast arm to span wire in the past few years.

I do know what the OP means as the south always used span wires except AR and NOLA that had a mix of side mounts and jersey truss arms up until the late 90's when monotube arms have become the norm there in the Big Easy.

However, NYS uses span wire, and always have as well as Pennsylvania, outside of metro Philly that always used mast arms and side mounts as far as I can remember, used them.   Ohio and Indiana used them always as well as Kentucky with their cutout-tunnel-cutout installations as far back as I can remember.

[cl94]

You mentioned New York and they're going to mast arms for all but large intersections. When I was down south a couple weeks ago, I mostly saw span wire.

[jwolfer]

Florida has been going mast arm some time and in Miami- Dade and Collier Counties the horizontal mounts on the mast arms are becoming the total norm there.  Plus the Panhandle in some areas like Panama City, Tallahassee, and Pensacola I believe have ditched the span wires completely on all new installations for horizontal mount heads on mast arms as well.

However, its not set in stone per FDOT.  Some new installations in Orange and Osceola still use span wires and over four intersections I have seen went from mast arm to span wire in the past few years.

I do know what the OP means as the south always used span wires except AR and NOLA that had a mix of side mounts and jersey truss arms up until the late 90's when monotube arms have become the norm there in the Big Easy.

However, NYS uses span wire, and always have as well as Pennsylvania, outside of metro Philly that always used mast arms and side mounts as far as I can remember, used them.   Ohio and Indiana used them always as well as Kentucky with their cutout-tunnel-cutout installations as far back as I can remember.

After Hurricane Andrew back in 1992 I recall reading somewhere that  span wire installations woild not be done within 10 miles of the coast, except where the layout of the interchange makes mast arms impractical.

It seems that was followed for a while after that but recently it seems that has changed.

South Florida and the Panhandle get struck by hurricanes more frequently than other parts if Florida so makes sense to be more mast arms

LGMS428

[plain]

I believe Baltimore still has some of these left around the city

[kphoger]

Funny, how the OP has not chimed in at all to clarify what aspect of the stoplight configuration (pun not intended) he was referring to...

[cl94]

Funny, how the OP has not chimed in at all to clarify what aspect of the stoplight configuration (pun not intended) he was referring to...

I was thinking the same thing. No, I haven't seen an installation that looks exactly like that, but I've seen the parts individually.