Has the flashing yellow left turn signal made it to your state?

[mjb2002]

BTW, back on topic...the flashing yellow turn signals have not made it to my side of the Central Savannah River Area yet - NOT even in Aiken, North Augusta or Orangeburg. Not sure about metro Augusta, though - if so, the flashing yellow would likely be in parts of Augusta, Evans, Grovetown and/or Martinez - since that area is larger and more urban.

[Road Hog]

Flashing yellow arrows have been up in Texas for about a year now. That's when I saw the first ones in front of the new Walmart in Frisco.

[MASTERNC]

Saw the FYA in Idaho and Wyoming during my Yellowstone trip.  I really like the concept and wish PennDOT would adopt to replace all the doghouse signals in Philly.

[roadman65]

I have seen signs now that inform what the flashing yellow is about. 

One place in Texas I seen the signal head for left turns go completely out with no orientation when the same function that takes place as the flashing yellow left arrow.  This one unique situation was on Northwest Parkway near Dallas.

[tradephoric]

Does anyone find this FYA operation a bit odd?  This is at Saginaw Hwy & I-69 on ramp in Lansing, Michigan. 

[NE2]

Hey tradephoric, I think you're needed here: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=7546.msg178806#msg178806

Does anyone find this FYA operation a bit odd?  This is at Saginaw Hwy & I-69 on ramp in Lansing, Michigan. 

Other than the guy not turning when he could have (0:21), I see nothing wrong. That's a perfect illustration of how the FYA fixes the yellow trap problem.

Presumably there's a detector in the left turn lane, and if someone's been sitting there too long they get a protected turn. Otherwise there's no reason for oncoming traffic to have a red (traffic coming from the right can only turn right).

[NE2]

Today I saw this row of signals in blink mode, including flashing yellow right arrows. There doesn't seem to be a major conflict with the new definition of flashing yellow here, but could this be a problem in other situations?

[codyg1985]

Or use a red straight-ahead arrow along with a flashing yellow left arrow, thereby clearly defining each movement.

now that sounds like one hell of a retrofit.  straight-ahead arrows are pretty uncommon in the US, especially red ones.

Alabama uses straight ahead green and yellow arrows on the side of the street where turns aren't allowed (i.e. one way streets).

[Big John]

Or use a red straight-ahead arrow along with a flashing yellow left arrow, thereby clearly defining each movement.

now that sounds like one hell of a retrofit.  straight-ahead arrows are pretty uncommon in the US, especially red ones.

Alabama uses straight ahead green and yellow arrows on the side of the street where turns aren't allowed (i.e. one way streets).

MUTCD prohibits a straight ahead yellow (and red) arrow:

Section 4D.05 Application of Steady Signal Indications

09 A straight-through RED ARROW signal indication or a straight-through YELLOW ARROW signal indication shall not be displayed on any signal face, either alone or in combination with any other signal indication.

[1995hoo]

Does anyone find this FYA operation a bit odd?  This is at Saginaw Hwy & I-69 on ramp in Lansing, Michigan. 

The only thing I would find odd, if that installation were in Virginia, is that there's no sign saying "Left Turn Yield on Flashing [arrow graphic]." The flashing yellow arrow is uncommon here, and the ones I've seen were installed by the City of Alexandria rather than VDOT, but the ones I've seen have a sign. Of course I recognize that other states might not use a sign and that the installation might be a lot more common elsewhere than it is here.

But I think "NE2" is correct, it seems like a classic place for a flashing yellow arrow. I've encountered several intersections lately with red arrows where the flashing yellow would be far more appropriate. See picture below from Frontier Drive in Springfield, Virginia. I was waiting to turn left to go to the bank and, as you can see, it was very easy to see that nobody was coming the other way. (The road onto which I was turning leads down into the car park for Springfield Mall, although the mall itself is currently closed for renovation.) The more common installation in Virginia would be a doghouse signal with the familiar "Left Turn Yield on [green circle graphic]," but whether you use that or a flashing yellow arrow, it's damn annoying when they throw up a red arrow instead and you have to sit there wasting gas staring at an unnecessary red light.

[Takumi]

The biggest candidate for a flashing yellow arrow I can think of is in Colonial Heights, VA at the intersection of Temple Avenue (VA 144) and the ramp to/from I-95. The yellow trap is so common there, with countless accidents in my lifetime, that there are two or three "Left Turn Must Yield On Green Ball" signs and an LED "Left Turn Must Yield" sign on the ground-mounted left turn signal, which lights up during the permissive cycle. Of course, there are still accidents there on occasion, but an FYA would likely lessen them even more.

[SignBridge]

Sorry, off topic............1995hoo, are you saying the whole Springfield Mall is closed for renovation? That's a huge mall; I can't believe they would close the whole place down even temporarily, too much revenue would be lost.

[1995hoo]

Sorry, off topic............1995hoo, are you saying the whole Springfield Mall is closed for renovation? That's a huge mall; I can't believe they would close the whole place down even temporarily, too much revenue would be lost.

Everything except the anchor stores (JC Penney's, Macy's, Target). The other buildings nearby (the bank on the corner; the Firestone place; small shops next to Firestone) also remain open. But the mall itself is closed. Don't think many people miss it too much. It was getting rather ghetto in there.

[MASTERNC]

Sorry, off topic............1995hoo, are you saying the whole Springfield Mall is closed for renovation? That's a huge mall; I can't believe they would close the whole place down even temporarily, too much revenue would be lost.

Funny thing is I was down there this weekend too and noticed the same thing.

[kphoger]

I just saw three of them in close proximity in Lenexa, Kansas.  95th Street, both east and west of I-35.

[KEK Inc.]

http://goo.gl/maps/kt29Q

[basilicon89]

Flashing Yellow Arrow as you see has made it to Michigan...replacing the tried and true (and much better IMO) flashing red ball.

It also has been "installed" in my basement intersection. They require up-to-date software in the controller to operate.

-Nick

[BiggieJohn]

We just got them here in central Texas, city of Round Rock has started adding them to busy intersections.
so far, it seems to be confusing more people then it's helping

[johndoe]

I've encountered several intersections lately with red arrows where the flashing yellow would be far more appropriate.

I could be wrong, but it looks like there are three through lanes in conflict with the left turn in your picture.  I think the rule (and I'm sure every DOT/municipality has their own rules) is to only allow permitted lefts across two opposing through lanes.  Since there are three lanes in your example, only protected lefts would be allowed.

But yes, signals are almost always annoying 

[roadfro]

^ There is no hard and fast rule in the MUTCD on use of protected versus permitted versus protected/permitted in such situations. The decision is usually left to either agency policy or engineering judgement or some combination.

Agency policy for this situation typically is a function of a number of factors--the major controlling factors are usually number of opposing lanes, speed and volume on opposing through lanes, and adequate sight distance.

[SignBridge]

On a major (7-lane Undivided) county road in my area, signals erected by the County do have protected/permitted left-turn phasing across 3 lanes of opposing traffic. The County's priority seems to be on keeping traffic moving as much as possible. New York State DOT usually uses protected only on similar roads that they control. 

[Alps]

On a major (7-lane Undivided) county road in my area, signals erected by the County do have protected/permitted left-turn phasing across 3 lanes of opposing traffic. The County's priority seems to be on keeping traffic moving as much as possible. New York State DOT usually uses protected only on similar roads that they control. 

NJDOT's requirement is protected only for left turns of 2 or more lanes. I guess in this state we don't allow left turns over 3 or more lanes anyway, that's what jughandles are for. But elsewhere in the country, I've seen left turns across 3 or even 4 lanes at unsignalized intersections, let alone at signals, and with all different types of permission/protection.

[doogie1303]

^ There is no hard and fast rule in the MUTCD on use of protected versus permitted versus protected/permitted in such situations. The decision is usually left to either agency policy or engineering judgement or some combination.

Agency policy for this situation typically is a function of a number of factors--the major controlling factors are usually number of opposing lanes, speed and volume on opposing through lanes, and adequate sight distance.

I have not seen any flashing yellow/permissive yellow here in the Northeast or at least in CT, MA, RI, but I wish they would start using it. RI and MA in my opinion have an unhealthy addiction to the protected left turn signal and tend to overuse it in places that don't warrant it. CT is getting just as bad, I remember growing up in the early 80's in SE CT and seeing my first dedicated protected left turn signal, before that most intersections in my area with a left turn lane had a protected/permissive signal (green orb with green arrow). Today most intersections with left turn lanes I encounter in CT are going to protected left turn signals.

I first encountered the flashing yellow/permissive yellow when I travelled to WA in the Seattle area and loved the fact that I didn't have to wait as long to do a left turn.

I think that the dedicated left turn signal causes more congestion as cars waiting to turn queue up in situations where there is very little or no oncoming traffic.

[Roadsguy]

I was in Fayetteville, NC recently, and I saw them all over the place. None yet in PA though that I've seen.

[74/171FAN]

The biggest candidate for a flashing yellow arrow I can think of is in Colonial Heights, VA at the intersection of Temple Avenue (VA 144) and the ramp to/from I-95. The yellow trap is so common there, with countless accidents in my lifetime, that there are two or three "Left Turn Must Yield On Green Ball" signs and an LED "Left Turn Must Yield" sign on the ground-mounted left turn signal, which lights up during the permissive cycle. Of course, there are still accidents there on occasion, but an FYA would likely lessen them even more.

OT somewhat, but I do not even want to imagine how much worse that intersection would be now without the ramp from VA 144 NB to I-95 NB.  Before the ramp, I really don't think a FYA would have helped much.  Anyway another FYA is about to be installed on US 29 in Nelson County.

http://virginiadot.org/newsroom/lynchburg/2012/flashing_yellow_arrow_comes62073.asp