Which intersections should be signalized?

[vdeane]

Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning? Why the rude reply?

Uh, it was a normal reply with a tiny dash of harmless sarcasm for comedic effect. Don't see how it's rude, but thanks for your concern.

Uh, no, it wasn't. The "oh, please" was unnecessary and condescending. I'm not kernals12 and you don't need to address me as though I were. If anything, I think your comment about American drivers not actually stopping at all-way stops (a comment I would extend to pretty much any stop sign, for that matter!) just underscores my point that the idea of requiring people to stop every time (which, we can all agree, is what a stop sign does as a matter of law) is a stupid and unnecessary practice most of the time. Not all the time, of course–I'm sure we can all think of intersections where any number of factors (obstructed visibility, high pedestrian traffic, proximity to a school, etc.) might warrant a stop sign, but the American way is to throw up stop signs every time even when it would be perfectly safe to use a yield sign instead. That's the point I was trying to make.

Especially since the American tendency to throw stop signs everywhere arguably encourages rolling stops in the first place.

[1995hoo]

Thank you. That's the gist of what I was getting at. Whenever I drive in the UK, the relative lack of stop signs feels like a breath of fresh air.

[Ned Weasel]

When this interchange: https://goo.gl/maps/x2v73g16JW2bPuVq8 , was converted from a cloverleaf to a diamond, I found it a bit off-putting that the intersections weren't signalized.  There's so much development around it, especially on the north side, that I think signals would likely be justified.

[epzik8]

I just fail to understand how Everyone has to stop, no matter what! is a valid option.

Is this just saying "Red always means stop"?

[interstatefan990]

Especially since the American tendency to throw stop signs everywhere arguably encourages rolling stops in the first place.

Yeah but I mean if we instead put Yield (Give way) signs everywhere like a lot of European countries do, it would be even worse because many American drivers just blow through those with a quick glance for conflicting traffic, at least in my experience. Stop signs may not be 100% effective but they're the best option we have ATM.

[Big John]

I just fail to understand how Everyone has to stop, no matter what! is a valid option.

Is this just saying "Red always means stop"?

There  are big red signs warning against hazardous materials from entering the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. You don't stop at those signs.

[kphoger]

Yield also doesn't mean stop, except under certain circumstances.

[interstatefan990]

There  are big red signs warning against hazardous materials from entering the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. You don't stop at those signs.

Except, of course, if you're carrying hazardous materials. 

[interstatefan990]

Yield also doesn't mean stop, except under certain circumstances.

Opinions vary, but I see a yield sign as a stop sign that you can run if no one's coming (with the exception of yield signs posted before freeway merge lanes of sufficient length to get up to speed and find a gap).

[DrSmith]

As I kid I could not understand why there was a yield sign at this T-intersection. Intersections had stop signs.
https://goo.gl/maps/hgzQTds7F1jhJ4KH6

[Ned Weasel]

As I kid I could not understand why there was a yield sign at this T-intersection. Intersections had stop signs.
https://goo.gl/maps/hgzQTds7F1jhJ4KH6

I only know of one city in my home state that really seems to like using yield signs to control minor intersections when most other cities in the U.S. would probably use stop signs: https://goo.gl/maps/V5jZ2bH2HnAX4PZ29

[sprjus4]

Hey, as I said, ultimately I think we agree on the overuse of stop signs being silly.

This used to be a 2-way stop. It has been converted to a 4-way stop. When NC-11 gets widened, this intersection will be converted to a superstreet or an interchange that bypasses the town.

I've driven through that intersection before... it was a nuisance on an otherwise free-flowing 55 mph (in reality, more like 67 - 70 mph) highway without any interruptions for 20+ miles.

[tolbs17]

Hey, as I said, ultimately I think we agree on the overuse of stop signs being silly.

This used to be a 2-way stop. It has been converted to a 4-way stop. When NC-11 gets widened, this intersection will be converted to a superstreet or an interchange that bypasses the town.

I've driven through that intersection before... it was a nuisance on an otherwise free-flowing 55 mph (in reality, more like 67 - 70 mph) highway without any interruptions for 20+ miles.

Do you like how they converted it to a 4-way stop?

[vdeane]

Especially since the American tendency to throw stop signs everywhere arguably encourages rolling stops in the first place.

Yeah but I mean if we instead put Yield (Give way) signs everywhere like a lot of European countries do, it would be even worse because many American drivers just blow through those with a quick glance for conflicting traffic, at least in my experience. Stop signs may not be 100% effective but they're the best option we have ATM.

If you keep designing the roads for the lowest common denominator, you're going to get lowest common denominator drivers.  What we really need is a paradigm shift, to have signs mean what they say.  Drivers tend to obey signs that are clearly warranted.  Once they get used to that, they would be more likely to obey a sign that's warranted but where the reasons why aren't immediately obvious - which would improve safety.

There's a yield sign right where I live, and people just plain ignoring it couldn't be further from the truth.  If anything, drivers tend to treat it too much like a stop sign!

[webny99]

There's a yield sign right where I live, and people just plain ignoring it couldn't be further from the truth.  If anything, drivers tend to treat it too much like a stop sign!

That has generally been my experience as well. It's annoying when people slow way down or even stop if it's clear no one is coming - or if the yielding traffic gets their own lane.

[tolbs17]

There's a yield sign right where I live, and people just plain ignoring it couldn't be further from the truth.  If anything, drivers tend to treat it too much like a stop sign!

That has generally been my experience as well. It's annoying when people slow way down or even stop if it's clear no one is coming - or if the yielding traffic gets their own lane.

Same thing on Evans turning right onto Greenville Blvd. There has been plans to signalize it though.

[sprjus4]

Hey, as I said, ultimately I think we agree on the overuse of stop signs being silly.

This used to be a 2-way stop. It has been converted to a 4-way stop. When NC-11 gets widened, this intersection will be converted to a superstreet or an interchange that bypasses the town.

I've driven through that intersection before... it was a nuisance on an otherwise free-flowing 55 mph (in reality, more like 67 - 70 mph) highway without any interruptions for 20+ miles.

Do you like how they converted it to a 4-way stop?

Take a guess.

[tolbs17]

Hey, as I said, ultimately I think we agree on the overuse of stop signs being silly.

This used to be a 2-way stop. It has been converted to a 4-way stop. When NC-11 gets widened, this intersection will be converted to a superstreet or an interchange that bypasses the town.

I've driven through that intersection before... it was a nuisance on an otherwise free-flowing 55 mph (in reality, more like 67 - 70 mph) highway without any interruptions for 20+ miles.

Do you like how they converted it to a 4-way stop?

Take a guess.

Yes? And for this one they did the same thing. Now they turned it into a roundabout. It's funny how you say "Take a guess.". That makes me laugh! 

[sprjus4]

No, I was trying to imply I didn't care for the stop, as it was an interruption along what is otherwise miles of free flowing 55 mph highway.

[tolbs17]

No, I was trying to imply I didn't care for the stop, as it was an interruption along what is otherwise miles of free flowing 55 mph highway.

So what they did was not a smart move from the get-go.

[interstatefan990]

I know it's in a sparsely populated area, but I can't see why this intersection shouldn't be signalized:

https://goo.gl/maps/p1tkprkRZgbyGFZF8

Also, there's this sign a a little down the road from there:

https://goo.gl/maps/Uc2xLmzEGWduhBcq5

This is the first time I've seen that posted on an undivided two-lane road. Do they really want you to move into the oncoming lane of traffic when there's an emergency vehicle stopped on the shoulder?

[Scott5114]

I know it's in a sparsely populated area, but I can't see why this intersection shouldn't be signalized:

https://goo.gl/maps/p1tkprkRZgbyGFZF8

OK-95 only gets 600 vehicles per day.

Also, there's this sign a a little down the road from there:

https://goo.gl/maps/Uc2xLmzEGWduhBcq5

This is the first time I've seen that posted on an undivided two-lane road. Do they really want you to move into the oncoming lane of traffic when there's an emergency vehicle stopped on the shoulder?

Why shouldn't you, if there's clearly no traffic coming the other way? Obviously this won't always be possible, but it's not always possible to change lanes on a four-lane road either.

[oscar]

Also, there's this sign a a little down the road from there:

https://goo.gl/maps/Uc2xLmzEGWduhBcq5

This is the first time I've seen that posted on an undivided two-lane road. Do they really want you to move into the oncoming lane of traffic when there's an emergency vehicle stopped on the shoulder?

Why shouldn't you, if there's clearly no traffic coming the other way? Obviously this won't always be possible, but it's not always possible to change lanes on a four-lane road either.

In any case, it is always possible to slow down, as the sign says.

This kind of sign is really common on two-lane roads, especially just after crossing a state line.

[interstatefan990]

OK-95 only gets 600 vehicles per day.

Hm. There were 8 on-road vehicles visible in the GSV, so I assumed the traffic count was high enough to warrant a signal.

Why shouldn't you, if there's clearly no traffic coming the other way? Obviously this won't always be possible, but it's not always possible to change lanes on a four-lane road either.

True, but I think if there was oncoming traffic, it would take some good guesswork to determine if you have enough time to move over from the stopped vehicle and return to your lane before getting too close, or if you should slow down and wait instead. Especially considering the high speed involved.

[Scott5114]

It's not any harder than determining if you can safely pass or not. Besides, it just says "move over". It doesn't say you have to fully enter the opposing lane to do so–my inclination would be to move over enough to straddle the centerline, to give the emergency vehicle a few extra feet of space.

Furthermore, as Oscar points out, since it's at a state line, the intent of the sign is probably simply to inform the driver of a Texas law that may or may not apply in the state the traveler just left (it does in Oklahoma, but that's not any of Texas's business). Thus the driver will hopefully remember it coming into play in a situation where it's more relevant, like the four-lane roads approaching Amarillo.