LOL Broken Traffic Lightz

[realjd]

Taken a few months ago at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The light was in a weird state where I-Drive was flashing yellow and the convention center driveway was flashing red but the light was also running a normal red/green/yellow cycle. It made me laugh.

[deathtopumpkins]

I couldn't catch a picture of it because I was trying to drive and the resulting traffic was crazy, but I witnessed something similar over the winter in Nashua, NH.  A signal on NH 101A at a random side street west of the Everett Turnpike was displaying steady red and green for NH 101A east, and constant red for the side street, but a normal cycle for NH 101A west(!) and no one understood what to do. Traffic backed up several miles tot he west.

[tradephoric]

Fatal motorcycle accident occurred last week at the intersection of West Warren Ave. and Beechwood Ave. in Detroit.  At the time of the accident, the signal heads were turned.  Not a laughing matter when a malfunctioning traffic light leads to serious injury or death.

[realjd]

Fatal motorcycle accident occurred last week at the intersection of West Warren Ave. and Beechwood Ave. in Detroit.  At the time of the accident, the signal heads were turned.  Not a laughing matter when a malfunctioning traffic light leads to serious injury or death.

Thankfully in the case from Orlando, people made due and there were no accidents. The blinking red/yellow made it apparent something was wrong.

The picture from the fatal accident in NH is an excellent example (if unfortunate) of why red left arrows should be mandatory. That could easily be mistaken for a red left turn signal and a green through signal in states that use red balls for left turns.

[M3019C LPS20]

I seldom came across actual traffic signals not functioning properly when I grew up in New York City. Even today, here in New Jersey, I do not see them fail at crucial times. Once in a blue moon, really.

Frankly, the only time I saw a signalized intersection fail in the city of New York was over ten years ago. It was in Staten Island, and it seems that the actual dial timer within the signal controller cabinet just stopped, which, if so, caused the main drag to rest on green, while the cross rested on red.


Though this problem has been lingering throughout the city for well over ten years, which may be the result of a faulty neutral wire.

[Alps]

I seldom came across actual traffic signals not functioning properly when I grew up in New York City. Even today, here in New Jersey, I do not see them fail at crucial times. Once in a blue moon, really.

Frankly, the only time I saw a signalized intersection fail in the city of New York was over ten years ago. It was in Staten Island, and it seems that the actual dial timer within the signal controller cabinet just stopped, which, if so, caused the main drag to rest on green, while the cross rested on red.


Though this problem has been lingering throughout the city for well over ten years, which may be the result of a faulty neutral wire.

I've seen so many of those in NYC, yeah. There's also the time there was a 30 second yellow on 59th at 9th - we all went and it did eventually turn green behind us.

[Mr. Matté]

(to be fair, the intersection was a part of the Raritan River at the time of the photograph)

[Roadsguy]

At this intersection a few years ago (not sure when exactly), coming (south-)eastbound on Cottman, the light was malfunctioning at both Rising Sun and Oxford: the yellow wouldn't go off. The light would change normally otherwise, though.

I don't think I've really seen a light malfunction since.

[Daniel]

Fatal motorcycle accident occurred last week at the intersection of West Warren Ave. and Beechwood Ave. in Detroit.  At the time of the accident, the signal heads were turned.  Not a laughing matter when a malfunctioning traffic light leads to serious injury or death.

Thankfully in the case from Orlando, people made due and there were no accidents. The blinking red/yellow made it apparent something was wrong.

The picture from the fatal accident in NH is an excellent example (if unfortunate) of why red left arrows should be mandatory. That could easily be mistaken for a red left turn signal and a green through signal in states that use red balls for left turns.

1. It's not New Hampshire, it's Michigan.

2. It's really odd this comes up because as I've said before on here Michigan is notorious for this



a red ball with this odd backlit "LEFT" rectangle exclusively only found in Michigan and no one really knows why. But back on point, I'd find that hard to mistake that for a turning light because of that feature or lack of. Actually in states where it's a mess of everything I find it the worst. Like Ohio. Bunch of intersections where lights are half green, half red, and you think the left one or two are turning lights, but you can never tell for sure where a lot of the signals are very dated looking.

[NYhwyfan]

Fatal motorcycle accident occurred last week at the intersection of West Warren Ave. and Beechwood Ave. in Detroit.  At the time of the accident, the signal heads were turned.  Not a laughing matter when a malfunctioning traffic light leads to serious injury or death.

Thankfully in the case from Orlando, people made due and there were no accidents. The blinking red/yellow made it apparent something was wrong.

The picture from the fatal accident in NH is an excellent example (if unfortunate) of why red left arrows should be mandatory. That could easily be mistaken for a red left turn signal and a green through signal in states that use red balls for left turns.

1. It's not New Hampshire, it's Michigan.

2. It's really odd this comes up because as I've said before on here Michigan is notorious for this



a red ball with this odd backlit "LEFT" rectangle exclusively only found in Michigan and no one really knows why. But back on point, I'd find that hard to mistake that for a turning light because of that feature or lack of. Actually in states where it's a mess of everything I find it the worst. Like Ohio. Bunch of intersections where lights are half green, half red, and you think the left one or two are turning lights, but you can never tell for sure where a lot of the signals are very dated looking.

I think the light up left sign is cool, however I'm not a big fan for the red-ball left turn signal. It would be just as easy to have a red arrow lens or LED. And by doing so the light up left would be optional.

[Daniel]

Fatal motorcycle accident occurred last week at the intersection of West Warren Ave. and Beechwood Ave. in Detroit.  At the time of the accident, the signal heads were turned.  Not a laughing matter when a malfunctioning traffic light leads to serious injury or death.

Thankfully in the case from Orlando, people made due and there were no accidents. The blinking red/yellow made it apparent something was wrong.

The picture from the fatal accident in NH is an excellent example (if unfortunate) of why red left arrows should be mandatory. That could easily be mistaken for a red left turn signal and a green through signal in states that use red balls for left turns.

1. It's not New Hampshire, it's Michigan.

2. It's really odd this comes up because as I've said before on here Michigan is notorious for this



a red ball with this odd backlit "LEFT" rectangle exclusively only found in Michigan and no one really knows why. But back on point, I'd find that hard to mistake that for a turning light because of that feature or lack of. Actually in states where it's a mess of everything I find it the worst. Like Ohio. Bunch of intersections where lights are half green, half red, and you think the left one or two are turning lights, but you can never tell for sure where a lot of the signals are very dated looking.

I think the light up left sign is cool, however I'm not a big fan for the red-ball left turn signal. It would be just as easy to have a red arrow lens or LED. And by doing so the light up left would be optional.

Actually, that's exactly what they're just starting to do. I have mixed feelings. I grew up in Michigan and there never seemed to be any problem with it. Even with out of staters. Everyone knows what left means the presence of the box makes it obvious it's a special signal, red means stop and the ball makes sense because you're not going anywhere, green arrow means go protected and yellow arrow means go protected if close enough to continue otherwise prepare to stop. But at the same token, the Florida style red arrow is becoming increasingly common across the country and it would just make sense to standardize it all. I really don't know, just keep the "LEFT" box. It's a Michigan road icon.

[Brandon]

Actually, that's exactly what they're just starting to do. I have mixed feelings. I grew up in Michigan and there never seemed to be any problem with it. Even with out of staters. Everyone knows what left means the presence of the box makes it obvious it's a special signal, red means stop and the ball makes sense because you're not going anywhere, green arrow means go protected and yellow arrow means go protected if close enough to continue otherwise prepare to stop. But at the same token, the Florida style red arrow is becoming increasingly common across the country and it would just make sense to standardize it all. I really don't know, just keep the "LEFT" box. It's a Michigan road icon.

IIRC, the "LEFT" boxes remain even when MDOT uses the FYAs.

[ET21]

I seldom came across actual traffic signals not functioning properly when I grew up in New York City. Even today, here in New Jersey, I do not see them fail at crucial times. Once in a blue moon, really.

Frankly, the only time I saw a signalized intersection fail in the city of New York was over ten years ago. It was in Staten Island, and it seems that the actual dial timer within the signal controller cabinet just stopped, which, if so, caused the main drag to rest on green, while the cross rested on red.


Though this problem has been lingering throughout the city for well over ten years, which may be the result of a faulty neutral wire.

I've seen so many of those in NYC, yeah. There's also the time there was a 30 second yellow on 59th at 9th - we all went and it did eventually turn green behind us.

Same in Chicago at Wabash and Washington. Seems every time I pass that light there's always something wrong with it