Traffic signal

[UnumProvident101]

the two intersections in these links got new traffic lights today but it hasn't been updated on Google Maps yet

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1226759,-85.2978307,3a,75y,113.69h,83.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAi18bpBWr9fRRAXCoQfVUQ!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1219056,-85.2964732,3a,48.9y,100.84h,84.4t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd_hAIG9-RRG37gKWmv99Eg!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

[jakeroot]

the two intersections in these links got new traffic lights today but it hasn't been updated on Google Maps yet

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1226759,-85.2978307,3a,75y,113.69h,83.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAi18bpBWr9fRRAXCoQfVUQ!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1219056,-85.2964732,3a,48.9y,100.84h,84.4t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd_hAIG9-RRG37gKWmv99Eg!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

They just got them today? Ummmm.... it's probably gonna be a while before they show up on Street View.

What were the changes?

[UnumProvident101]

both of the traffic lights were replaced with the yellow reflective border traffic lights you see nowadays except for the two doghouse traffic signals which doesn't have the yellow reflective border

[bcroadguy]

Here's an unusual (?) box-span setup near my parents' home in Walled Lake, MI.  In each direction, the signals are spread across the road instead of only over the lanes for that direction.  I haven't seen this anywhere else.

https://goo.gl/maps/5XfqnjBdhKHN4qSG7

This is very similar to Ontario's temporary span-wire setups: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7963112,-79.5364757,3a,71.6y,219.72h,86.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7rwaMdSVK0EqK3AkOu8qYQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[roadman65]

https://youtu.be/sXbHdKJ1D78
Interesting video on horizontally mounted stoplights I found.

[SignBridge]

Notice how some of the horizontal heads in the video were wrongly configured with the left turn arrow to the right of the green ball instead of to the left of it? I recently saw that error in New Jersey also.

The MUTCD specifies the order from left-to-right as: red ball, yellow ball, yellow (left)arrow, green (left) arrow, green ball, yellow (right) arrow, green (right) arrow. That's all folks.

[jakeroot]

Wrote this for the Japan thread, but it's relevant here too:



Thought I might make another quick post about the traffic signals in Japan, this time just about the signals themselves.

There are at least three major manufacturers for signals in Japan: Koito Denko, Nippon Signal, and Shingo. Nippon Signal apparently has quite a presence outside Japan as well.

The major difference in products is that Nippon Signal and Shingo mostly make signals with visors, whereas Koito Denko primarily produces visorless displays. According to Koito Denko, their research into visorless ("hoodless") signals was prompted by concerns over wind and snow. Wind can damage the visors and cause them to go flying off, and snow can get caught inside the visors and get stuck. From my experience, the flat faces have not been an issue in bright settings, and the wind thing certainly may be helpful in windy areas. But the snow issue may not have been perfected, as I have found examples online where the entire face of the traffic light becomes a white sheet of snow; the downward angle of the signal face should normally prevent this, though.

Fun fact: traffic signals in Japan are 250mm, or 10 inches.

The vast majority, if not all traffic lights in Japan, are entirely timed. The only time pedestrian activation buttons are used are at traffic lights that have the pedestrian feature disabled, used only when there is an all-way walk, or when the signal is specifically for a pedestrian crossing.



Pedestrians signals used to be reverse colors, where the human figure was white and the background was either red or green. Nowadays, the background is black and the human figure itself is green or red. Countdowns are sometimes used these days as well, with the countdown being a series of blocks on either side of the signal slowly counting down from the beginning of the phase to the end. The same process occurs during the red light, helping pedestrians to know how long until they get a green light. The countdowns are helpful as you typically don't get more than about six seconds of warning before a red signal.

As I mentioned in the prior section, signals in Japan are entirely timed, so you don't find activation buttons except at some all-way walks or pedestrian-specific signals.

These images are from Koito Denko's website showing modern pedestrian signals:







Here are some pictures:

Old traffic signal showing inverted pedestrian displays and incandescent bulbs:


Incandescent Signal by Jacob Root, on Flickr

Newer traffic light. Note the extra signal below for a right turn arrow (used after the through phase):


Modern Japanese Traffic Signal by Jacob Root, on Flickr

[wanderer2575]

the two intersections in these links got new traffic lights today but it hasn't been updated on Google Maps yet

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1226759,-85.2978307,3a,75y,113.69h,83.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAi18bpBWr9fRRAXCoQfVUQ!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.1219056,-85.2964732,3a,48.9y,100.84h,84.4t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd_hAIG9-RRG37gKWmv99Eg!2e0!5s20211001T000000!7i16384!8i8192

That's some really sloppy attachment of the cables to the span wires.  I hate when installers do that.

Here's an unusual (?) box-span setup near my parents' home in Walled Lake, MI.  In each direction, the signals are spread across the road instead of only over the lanes for that direction.  I haven't seen this anywhere else.

https://goo.gl/maps/5XfqnjBdhKHN4qSG7

This is very similar to Ontario's temporary span-wire setups: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7963112,-79.5364757,3a,71.6y,219.72h,86.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7rwaMdSVK0EqK3AkOu8qYQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Even more interesting is the "installation" of the temporary pedestrian signals.  I've never seen that before.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/F8FM61PVw3nx5zBw8
NJ like CA, IL, AZ, and I think MN uses left corner signal heads for an additional left turn signal head, though here it not only has just that but also another straight through signal head mounted to the left of it for the crosswalk.  Growing up in NJ I can attest that the Garden State would use a regular signal head for crosswalks instead of the traditional crosswalk heads.  Also to note that it would appear confusing having these side by side, however in many cases like these panels onside the visors would be placed so that the orientation can only be seen from standing directly in front of the pedestrian signal.
https://goo.gl/maps/A6TsgTkA78y1xuwB9
You can see those panels deterring the signal lights from the street in the closeup.

[roadman65]

What amazes me is that no other state than New Jersey uses four section permissive phased signal heads where both the green and yellow arrow appear out of the same lens. With LED lighting that is possible to achieve giving the signal head less bulk than the doghouse, yet the doghouse or tower is still most common.

[SignBridge]

I never liked that New Jersey set-up of the arrows in the same lens. It's better to have separate lenses for the green and yellow arrows so you can see the light change position as well as changing color. Better for drivers with any kind of color blindness too.

[Big John]

There are other states that use bimodal lenses.

[fwydriver405]

What amazes me is that no other state than New Jersey uses four section permissive phased signal heads where both the green and yellow arrow appear out of the same lens. With LED lighting that is possible to achieve giving the signal head less bulk than the doghouse, yet the doghouse or tower is still most common.

Maine has been using four section bi-modal permissive phased signal heads frequently in the past along with doghouses (1,2,3,4) before FYA was the standard, and a plethora of new 4-section left and right turn signals today (GA,YA) have been appearing with the BUILD GRANT and other new signal installations (though the 5-section doghouse is also used frequently in tandem as well). I'm not sure what the criteria is for using such signals for PPRT operations is since it can vary from intersection to intersection.

NHDOT also likes to uses this kind of signal more frequently than Maine, though this usually is with right turn signals (1,2) - left turn YoG PPLT installations (1,2) are rare in NH.

I also know Rhode Island (1, 2) and Ontario (Canada) like to use them frequently for shared people/RT operations as well. Massachusetts and Connecticut sometimes use them, but doghouses are more common than 4-section bimodal signals. I am not aware of any 4-section shared bimodal signal installation in the State of Vermont.

[Hobart]

What amazes me is that no other state than New Jersey uses four section permissive phased signal heads where both the green and yellow arrow appear out of the same lens. With LED lighting that is possible to achieve giving the signal head less bulk than the doghouse, yet the doghouse or tower is still most common.

Outside of District 1 (Chicagoland), IDOT used to install these sorts of signals from time to time. Here's an example in Peru: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3302785,-89.0943384,3a,41.2y,348.82h,95.5t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sH0H4TUr3ixAHwhIqG9n9AQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I picked this one in particular, because it's operating in tandem with a normal 5-section signal. Nowadays, Illinois sticks to towers of 5.

[Big John]

^^ Off-topic but why the offset of the arrows and the US 6 sign?

[Dirt Roads]

There are at least three major manufacturers for signals in Japan: Koito Denko, Nippon Signal, and Shingo. Nippon Signal apparently has quite a presence outside Japan as well.

Nippon Signal is also a major supplier of Japanese railway signalling and switching equipment, some of which is used in other areas of rail transit.  I had no idea that they were also a major supplier of traffic signals.  Here in the states, the traffic signal suppliers are split between suppliers of: (A) controllers; (B) mast arms; and (C) signal heads.  (a number of the "suppliers of controllers" are actually NEMA cabinet manufacturers that add the control equipment and programming to their products).  In railway signalling, there are a number of suppliers that can provide all three of these (plus lots of the other gizmos that you might find in railroading).

Have you been able to determine how this splits up for Japanese traffic signals?  (Ergo, does Nippon Signal supply the entire traffic signal layout?)

[roadman65]

Reply to post 5012, VT had a two section bimodal yellow/ green in Bennington at the main E- W and N-S intersection ( MSR 9 & US 7). It was for the left turn signal at that location.
https://goo.gl/maps/GKNHTNfbQv5ALoKE7 Last GSV. Shows standard three section.
https://goo.gl/maps/u1jTkVDi2Jnz1xmU8 In 2012 it was there still.

https://goo.gl/maps/jRXC1wZ3L5h8ofW46 Closeup of former two section protected left.

[CovalenceSTU]

What amazes me is that no other state than New Jersey uses four section permissive phased signal heads where both the green and yellow arrow appear out of the same lens. With LED lighting that is possible to achieve giving the signal head less bulk than the doghouse, yet the doghouse or tower is still most common.

There's one that popped up in Longview, WA a while back, although I can't find any street view of the yellow arrow in action.

[steviep24]

What amazes me is that no other state than New Jersey uses four section permissive phased signal heads where both the green and yellow arrow appear out of the same lens. With LED lighting that is possible to achieve giving the signal head less bulk than the doghouse, yet the doghouse or tower is still most common.

There's one that popped up in Longview, WA a while back, although I can't find any street view of the yellow arrow in action.

Rochester, NY is full of bi modal arrows, mostly on signals owned by Monroe County.

[SkyPesos]

4-section bimodal are common in Canada for protected-permissive left turns iirc. Seen them everyhwere in Ontario, and looking at GSV for some other provinces, looks like it's widely used there too.

[jeffandnicole]

I never liked that New Jersey set-up of the arrows in the same lens. It's better to have separate lenses for the green and yellow arrows so you can see the light change position as well as changing color. Better for drivers with any kind of color blindness too.

NJ has used this light for 4 or 5 decades and the only people have complained about it are those that aren't colorblind.

NJDOT is often on the forefront of upgrading intersections to be complaint with current ADA standards, especially with walk signal push buttons and ramps to street level access. Bimodal arrows have never come up as an issue to those that people believe they should be an issue with. There aren't any known stats to show accidents or even traffic stops are an issue with these lights either.

[roadman65]

I never liked that New Jersey set-up of the arrows in the same lens. It's better to have separate lenses for the green and yellow arrows so you can see the light change position as well as changing color. Better for drivers with any kind of color blindness too.

NJ has used this light for 4 or 5 decades and the only people have complained about it are those that aren't colorblind.

NJDOT is often on the forefront of upgrading intersections to be complaint with current ADA standards, especially with walk signal push buttons and ramps to street level access. Bimodal arrows have never come up as an issue to those that people believe they should be an issue with. There aren't any known stats to show accidents or even traffic stops are an issue with these lights either.

It’s just like the Redskins having to change their name. It appears that it was more so people who weren’t Native Americans saying it was offensive to Native Americans than the party themselves. Even one forum user here who had some Native blood in him, stated that he and his relatives in that race, had no issues with that at all. In addition in that one thread he commented on he said for those particular complainers to basically shut up.

[jakeroot]

There are at least three major manufacturers for signals in Japan: Koito Denko, Nippon Signal, and Shingo. Nippon Signal apparently has quite a presence outside Japan as well.

Nippon Signal is also a major supplier of Japanese railway signalling and switching equipment, some of which is used in other areas of rail transit.  I had no idea that they were also a major supplier of traffic signals.  Here in the states, the traffic signal suppliers are split between suppliers of: (A) controllers; (B) mast arms; and (C) signal heads.  (a number of the "suppliers of controllers" are actually NEMA cabinet manufacturers that add the control equipment and programming to their products).  In railway signalling, there are a number of suppliers that can provide all three of these (plus lots of the other gizmos that you might find in railroading).

It's funny, the Nippon Signal homepage actually has a picture of the 1972-built Latah Creek rail bridge in Spokane, WA; I recognized the city immediately which led me down a rabbit-hole. This lead to the discovery that they do indeed manufacture signals outside Japan, though from what you're telling me and what I was able to read online, it's just railway signalling equipment. While Japanese companies having presence outside Japan is hardly groundbreaking, they do seem to be the only one that offers signals outside Japan. Pretty neat!

Have you been able to determine how this splits up for Japanese traffic signals?  (Ergo, does Nippon Signal supply the entire traffic signal layout?)

It seems that everything but the mast arm is manufactured by the signal provider. I can see on the websites of the manufacturers that power supplies, controllers, and the signals themselves are all products they offer. But no one makes any mention of the signal mast arms.

From my personal observations, signal mast arms in Japan are very standardized. There is almost no variation in length or design, apart from the color. And even then, there are only two colors to pick from: very light grey (standard color), or a brownish color (example).

Also note that, in Japan, it appears that design approvals come from the National Police Agency. Both on plaques and online, "police code" or "police spec" seem to be terms used a lot, which would tell me that these manufacturers have to meet certain requirements, at least in terms of luminance, operations/phasing, etc.

Here in Japan, virtually all pedestrian and vehicle signals have a small plaque on the outside stating facts about the device, like voltage, model number, manufacturer:


Shingo Denzai Ped Signal ID Plate by Jacob Root, on Flickr

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/i9seQSqjXViAeHgE6
Here is a left turn signal using both a green ball and green arrow

[DrSmith]

https://goo.gl/maps/i9seQSqjXViAeHgE6
Here is a left turn signal using both a green ball and green arrow

On the right side in the link above you can see an old mast arm still in use