Traffic signal

[Brandon]

@ Zeffy:

One scenario -- when no turns are allowed at the intersection.

Plus the example Zeffy posted is located in Massachusetts; that arrangement & assembly been has around since the early 70s... years before Right turn on Red was became the legal default condition in the Bay State as well as the practice of having separate signal heads for turning lanes.

Back then, it was not uncommon to have a situation/scenario where both the red ball and one of the green arrows (be it upright, horizontal or angled) would be lit on a 4-signal head.

Still is, in Chicago, even with RTOR.

MUTCD?  We don't need no stinking MUTCD.

Isn't that just a poor-man's 5-section tower? I see that style of signal all the time where I live.

Nope.  There is no yellow arrow at this intersection (Cermak and the ramps to the outbound Ryan Expy).  The lanes look like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8528027,-87.6310646,146m/data=!3m1!1e3
All lanes turn, two to the left, and two to the right.

[jakeroot]

@ Zeffy:

One scenario -- when no turns are allowed at the intersection.

Plus the example Zeffy posted is located in Massachusetts; that arrangement & assembly been has around since the early 70s... years before Right turn on Red was became the legal default condition in the Bay State as well as the practice of having separate signal heads for turning lanes.

Back then, it was not uncommon to have a situation/scenario where both the red ball and one of the green arrows (be it upright, horizontal or angled) would be lit on a 4-signal head.

Still is, in Chicago, even with RTOR.

MUTCD?  We don't need no stinking MUTCD.

Isn't that just a poor-man's 5-section tower? I see that style of signal all the time where I live.

Nope.  There is no yellow arrow at this intersection (Cermak and the ramps to the outbound Ryan Expy).  The lanes look like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8528027,-87.6310646,146m/data=!3m1!1e3
All lanes turn, two to the left, and two to the right.

Ah okay. So what exactly stops the right turn lanes from turning? Amber orb? I would think that all turning directions would get a green (with the right arrow lit), followed by an amber across-the-board with the arrow staying lit, followed by a red with the green arrow still lit. Immediately after, the WB Cermak traffic towards the Ryan Expressway would get their turn arrow, and once their turn arrow began to expire, so would the right turn off the Ryan Expressway (using an amber arrow, since the left-turning traffic is already facing a red orb).

FWIW, here's an odd signal near where I live:

[Brandon]

IIRC, it's a leading right turn.  The signal's operation is: Red -> Red/Green Arrow -> Green/Green Arrow -> Yellow -> Red.  There's a few left turn ones in Chicago like that as well where the operations is: Red -> Green -> Green/Green Arrow -> Yellow -> Red.

Example: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.87511,-87.683791,3a,40.7y,179.97h,86.25t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sVy6VBxyHdjWDTI9hl0-Yfg!2e0

[roadman65]

NYC used to have one exiting the Queens Midtown Tunnel on the Manhattan side, but with a left turn green arrow present during a red light.

[PHLBOS]

As previously mentioned; in MA, many 4-section signalheads (RY^>, RY^<, RYG>, RYG<) would feature one red-light (or yellow light)/one green-arrow lit concurrently. 

Heck one old signal installation in Lynn, MA along MA 1A (the Lynnway) northbound had a couple of 4-section signalheads that had three of its 4 lights lit concurrently as part of normal operations (Y^> and R^>).  The red (& yellow) were lit concurrently with the upright & right-turn green arrow due to another 4-section signalhead that had a left green-arrow on it; it was lit as Y^ and R^ when left-turn movements weren't allowed.

[J Route Z]

How come some lights are mounted sideways and some are vertical? Also, how come some are wire mounted?

[SignGeek101]

How come some lights are mounted sideways and some are vertical?

I think it may have to do with wind. I tend to see it in the west, where the land is flatter and winds can be higher. Just my guess though.

http://goo.gl/maps/z3F2q

[M3019C LPS20]

How come some lights are mounted sideways and some are vertical?

Let's say you approach an overpass and you drive under it. The intersection you approach right after you drive under the bridge may not be visible to you if the traffic signals are vertical. If they are horizontal, then it would be easy to see them without doubt.

This is generally a common practice by many municipalities.

[UCFKnights]

Also, how come some are wire mounted?

Wire mounted gives more flexibility to the exact placement of the signals. It also has a tendency of being much cheaper, even more so the more signals you add.

[Brandon]

Then there's this wonderful MUTCD violation at the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) and Cicero Avenue (IL-50):

https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=41.816777,-87.743248&spn=0.002383,0.005284&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=41.816708,-87.743288&panoid=cXSZXqPwMVz1_7hj02yHXw&cbp=12,106.41,,0,-6.35

It's just like the ones in jakeroot's photograph.  The red ball is on while the green arrow is on.

Always great to see at a corner with red light cameras on your way to Midway Airport.

[6a]

Can someone tell me what the two gray, teardrop shaped things are? They look to be aluminum or the like and are held up with chains, but I couldn't make out if there was any actual wiring going to it.

[Ian]

^ I could be wrong, but they look like vibration dampers.

[6a]

That sent me in the right direction...Stockbridge dampers, thanks!

[PurdueBill]

Tons of state-erected lighting on Massachusetts expressways has those dampers; never seen so many in other states (if any) as in Massachusetts. 

[thenetwork]

So what is their function?

[6a]

They reduce vibration. In this case it's on the end of a good sized mast arm.



Completely unrelated, I just noticed The Google calls that National Road SW when it's West Broad St. I mean yeah, it's the National Rd but that's not the name in that area.

[cl94]

They reduce vibration. In this case it's on the end of a good sized mast arm.

I have been wondering what those things were for many years. NYSDOT and NYSTA use them on sign gantries quite extensively.

[TEG24601]

As previously mentioned; in MA, many 4-section signalheads (RY^>, RY^<, RYG>, RYG<) would feature one red-light (or yellow light)/one green-arrow lit concurrently. 

Heck one old signal installation in Lynn, MA along MA 1A (the Lynnway) northbound had a couple of 4-section signalheads that had three of its 4 lights lit concurrently as part of normal operations (Y^> and R^>).  The red (& yellow) were lit concurrently with the upright & right-turn green arrow due to another 4-section signalhead that had a left green-arrow on it; it was lit as Y^ and R^ when left-turn movements weren't allowed.

This sort of thing just popped up near me.  One of my co-workers brought it to my attention because he was pulled over for moving through the intersection as though it was a protected right turn, and the cop said that because it was a red light, he still needed to stop.  This can't be right, can it?.  From what I can tell is is a replacement for those lights that added a 4th light for a protected right turn, which would turn into a green ball when all traffic was allowed to go, or am I reading it wrong?

[thenetwork]

They reduce vibration. In this case it's on the end of a good sized mast arm.

I have been wondering what those things were for many years. NYSDOT and NYSTA use them on sign gantries quite extensively.

Thanks for the explanation.  Here in CO, we have long mast arms -- and quite a bit of wind on occasion -- and yet they are nowhere to be found here.

[6a]

It had been a curiosity to me for a while, Ian's post above sent me off to read up on them.

[PurdueBill]

This sort of thing just popped up near me.  One of my co-workers brought it to my attention because he was pulled over for moving through the intersection as though it was a protected right turn, and the cop said that because it was a red light, he still needed to stop.  This can't be right, can it?.  From what I can tell is is a replacement for those lights that added a 4th light for a protected right turn, which would turn into a green ball when all traffic was allowed to go, or am I reading it wrong?

Sounds like BS.  Would the cop pull someone over for going through a green arrow at a doghouse that also had circular red lit?  The signal showed green right arrow; if problems like that persist they may need to change the signals.

[dcbjms]

Hmm, interesting setup in Hull, QC:

http://goo.gl/maps/r7KZk

Quebec has always fascinated me with their traffic lights, and this is further proof of it.

[steviep24]

Never seen this setup in NY before. This is at NY 104 at Furnace Rd.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.227454,-77.281641,3a,37.5y,281.8h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sc8VKEBksHqkfH9n2rvmw7Q!2e0!6m1!1e1?hl=en

[HTM Duke]

Only saw this signal last week or so, but it's definitely new to me.  I guess it's what you get when you want to permit left turns on green arrows only at certain times of day and don't want to pay for a third signal.

N Washington and Princess Streets, Alexandria, VA.

[PHLBOS]

This sort of thing just popped up near me.  One of my co-workers brought it to my attention because he was pulled over for moving through the intersection as though it was a protected right turn, and the cop said that because it was a red light, he still needed to stop.  This can't be right, can it?.  From what I can tell is is a replacement for those lights that added a 4th light for a protected right turn, which would turn into a green ball when all traffic was allowed to go, or am I reading it wrong?

Sounds like BS.  Would the cop pull someone over for going through a green arrow at a doghouse that also had circular red lit?  The signal showed green right arrow; if problems like that persist they may need to change the signals.

In this day and age where most drivers have cell phones w/built-in cameras (even old-school cheap flip-types have such), had your (TEG24601) co-worker indeed been cited for such; a quick pic of the signal showing the green arrow & red light lit together would be enough evidence to legally challenge the citation in court.