Longest and Shortest "Normally Operating" Traffic Signals

[michravera]

There's an old joke "<VROOM!>, <ERT!>, <VROOM!>, <ERT!>, <VROOM!>, <ERT!>" about a motorist going through a flashing red light.

Let's exclude metering lights (which are usually of very short duration) and "Don't run into the Bay because the ferry isn't there right now!" or "stop for inspection" traffic lights.

What are the shortest and longest "normally operating" traffic lights that control traffic on roads that meet at approximately right angles?

It's, thankfully, been subsequently removed, but, if I'm not mistaken in the last few months before US-101 was completed as freeway through Santa Barbara, the light at State Street had a light that was red for sufficient that motorists were encouraged to cut their engines.

I was driving through Fremont tonight and saw that some of the green phases signals for though traffic along Stevenson Blvd were sufficiently short that, as third car, they were yellow for me as I crossed (or just after I crossed) the limit line.

I'm sure that you can do better (including a long cycle duration that is currently operating)!

[Max Rockatansky]

Allegedly the traffic light from the ramp departing I-880 onto CA 237 in Milpitas is up to six minutes long. I sat around for around for about three minutes myself and I definitely didn't catch the beginning of the cycle.

[michravera]

Allegedly the traffic light from the ramp departing I-880 onto CA 237 in Milpitas is up to six minutes long. I sat around for around for about three minutes myself and I definitely didn't catch the beginning of the cycle.

I'm glad that I take the HOV-to-HOV connector lane whenever possible!

[formulanone]

I dealt with one at Siegen Lane (LA 3246) and I-10 in Baton Rouge which was a four-minute cycle. Just missed it the first evening I dealt with it, and timed it to the second the following day. It was a little irritating when evening traffic was not using much of the off-ramp and Seigen Lane didn't seem exceptionally busy, but it was close to my hotel so I wound up there several times. That was 2014 so it could have been re-timed or adjusted since then.

There's many traffic lights which work by sensors and will permit just a single car before turning yellow, possibly when halfway through the intersection. Or if the driver at the stripe is a real slowpoke. (Or worse yet, someone runs the red light, which may cause further delays.) South Florida had at least one hundred of these on minor arterials connected to shopping centers, residential neighborhoods, condominium, and apartment complexes.

[Bobby5280]

I don't know the actual signal timing of it now, but I can remember in the 1990's just hating to be anywhere near Beltline Road on the North side of Dallas. Intersections like Midway seemed to last 5 minutes. I thought my Camaro was going to overheat one time when I was stuck at a red light there.

[vdeane]

This light is normally reasonable, but sometimes it turns back to red so quickly only 1-2 cars of a long queue can get through.  I'm not sure why it does that.  Or why the arrow for the left turn from Wade almost never turns on.

[jeffandnicole]

The light coming out of the office complex in Trenton at S. Warren Street I say has a 'token green' during the morning rush. It may be 2 seconds long.  Just enough for a car to leave; second and third cars will be leaving on the yellow.  Granted it's actually pretty rare for a vehicle to be leaving the complex in the morning; I do because I'm dropping someone off in my carpool; the few other vehicles exiting the complex are generally doing the same.

The light is offset from the opposing direction; they get a fairly long green, although due to traffic volumes they still have a 2 - 3 cycle backup.

For the thru direction (NJ 29), they have about a 3:20 green during the AM & PM rushes.  But only 45 seconds during the day, which is a little short.

And at all times, there's a bad offset between 2 lights about 1/4 mile apart.  Very few cars will make it thru both greens.  The problem, especially during the morning rush, started occurring during the pandemic.  I've sent a half-dozen maintenance requests to have this looked at without success, which causes increased congestion.