Traffic signal

[roadman65]

These are common in Lakeland, FL.



Signal heads swaying below the mast arm.

[plain]

I've never been to Florida but that's the first time I've seen FL signals hanging from the mast arms like that. Most examples I know are from either the Northeast or the Mid Atlantic.

[SkyPesos]

I've seen a couple like that in Ohio. Guess they still had the span wire mentality when installing certain mast arms.

[mrsman]

In Modesto, CA, there's a signal with a full-time green arrow, to denote that thru traffic does not need to stop, since there is no conflicting movement for thru traffic, only for left turners.  What is unique about these signals is that there is a ball signal above it.  I believe that it may allow for a flashing yellow orb during late night hours.

Even if the rest of the signal is on flash mode, why should the straight thru traffic not continue to have a steady green arrow?  There are no conflicts at all with that movement.

Another interesting thing about this intersection is the lane on the far left.  It allows for a left turn from 15th to Needham to L without conflicting with mainline Needham traffic.  From a google map, this movment is depicted as an alley, but it is actually just the far left side of the original street that is set apart with a narrow median and fence.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.6458111,-120.9982368,3a,75y,278.14h,79.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slL4qE63vnseCt6oNFJ1uRA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.645629,-120.9973805,3a,75y,250.07h,72.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sHvLgGFz5cmNkQtkCva360A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[fwydriver405]

Is it just me, or do the backplates on these signals in Topsham, ME look a bit ridiculously large... whole bunch of them on the 196 corridor from I-295 to US 1.

[NoGoodNamesAvailable]

Is it just me, or do the backplates on these signals in Topsham, ME look a bit ridiculously large... whole bunch of them on the 196 corridor from I-295 to US 1.

No? They look totally normal?

[fwydriver405]

Is it just me, or do the backplates on these signals in Topsham, ME look a bit ridiculously large... whole bunch of them on the 196 corridor from I-295 to US 1.

No? They look totally normal?

If you look at an older GSV, the older backplates used to be smaller than what they are now. At this intersection, not all of the approaches have consistant backplate sizes. Maybe it's just me, but that is what stood out to me when I was driving to Brunswick today... 

[Revive 755]

^ They look slightly larger than the ones normally used in Illinois - I think it's the extra space for the retroreflective strip in addition to the louvers.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/pMPkD27RGzwzn71w7
Always liked these to denote movements allowed.

[SkyPesos]

https://goo.gl/maps/pMPkD27RGzwzn71w7
Always liked these to denote movements allowed.

Interesting that the signal on the left is also a dual straight/right signal too. Considering the lane layout of Straight|Straight|Straight|Right, it makes more sense to me for the signal on the left as a straight only.

[JoePCool14]

https://goo.gl/maps/pMPkD27RGzwzn71w7
Always liked these to denote movements allowed.

I think that's kind of unnecessary though. Every time there's a left-turn signal for instance, in theory, you could use that setup.

[jakeroot]

I don't mind redundant displays like that, but only when one is post-mounted and the other is overhead. Having both overhead looks more like it's telling drivers which lanes go which directions. And in the New Jersey example, you definitely don't want drivers thinking that "both" lanes can go straight and right!

[roadman65]

I don't mind redundant displays like that, but only when one is post-mounted and the other is overhead. Having both overhead looks more like it's telling drivers which lanes go which directions. And in the New Jersey example, you definitely don't want drivers thinking that "both" lanes can go straight and right!

Good point. NJ used to have a straight and left arrow on two way streets to denote one way streets to the left until protected left turn signals came predominant.  It could also be argued that the left turn was protected due to the green arrows existence then, but it wasn't.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/pMPkD27RGzwzn71w7
Always liked these to denote movements allowed.

Interesting that the signal on the left is also a dual straight/right signal too. Considering the lane layout of Straight|Straight|Straight|Right, it makes more sense to me for the signal on the left as a straight only.

I believe he meant this set up.  With only the left signal head using a green arrow and the rest using green balls.

[Amtrakprod]

Knew we had atleast one of these: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4677518,-70.9097247,3a,15y,94.51h,92.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saODy1Gx90o5bdsS32P7RCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e3

[jakeroot]

Knew we had atleast one of these: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4677518,-70.9097247,3a,15y,94.51h,92.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saODy1Gx90o5bdsS32P7RCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e3

Is that a flashing green?

[fwydriver405]

Knew we had atleast one of these: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4677518,-70.9097247,3a,15y,94.51h,92.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saODy1Gx90o5bdsS32P7RCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e3

Is that a flashing green?

Looking a bit closer, it may be a 3M "bimodal" signal, which displays a circular green until you get closer to the signal, which then turns into a (thru) arrow. 3M here explains this feature in this promo video from the 1990's.

[jakeroot]

Knew we had atleast one of these: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4677518,-70.9097247,3a,15y,94.51h,92.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saODy1Gx90o5bdsS32P7RCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e3

Is that a flashing green?

Looking a bit closer, it may be a 3M "bimodal" signal, which displays a circular green until you get closer to the signal, which then turns into a (thru) arrow. 3M here explains this feature in this promo video from the 1990's.

Ahh, yes that appears to be exactly what it is.

Thank you for the video link. I have never heard of these before. I don't think any exist in WA, despite numerous 3M signals having been used throughout the 80s (maybe earlier, not much later apart from select scenarios).

[plain]

Knew we had atleast one of these: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4677518,-70.9097247,3a,15y,94.51h,92.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1saODy1Gx90o5bdsS32P7RCg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e3

Is that a flashing green?

Looking a bit closer, it may be a 3M "bimodal" signal, which displays a circular green until you get closer to the signal, which then turns into a (thru) arrow. 3M here explains this feature in this promo video from the 1990's.

Ahh, yes that appears to be exactly what it is.

Thank you for the video link. I have never heard of these before. I don't think any exist in WA, despite numerous 3M signals having been used throughout the 80s (maybe earlier, not much later apart from select scenarios).

Wow!! I've never seen those either despite having seen every other use of 3Ms mentioned in that video. I didn't even know they can do that! I wonder if the McClain models are capable of that?

[Amtrakprod]

I don't think the McCains can. I'm going to try to fill that light soon


iPhone

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/MvvU6VRMNepnJndW9
Noticed that NJ still uses the four section permissive left signal heads.  Are they the only state that uses these, as it seems that everywhere else I have been to uses either five sections or doghouse signal heads?

[Caps81943]

Not statewide, but I believe the somewhat major city of Charlottesville, VA still installs new four-section bimodel signals. I personally hate them.

[jay8g]

How many intersections can there possibly be where a signal was downgraded all the way to an uncontrolled intersection?

A few years back, I posted about the weird abandoned signal equipment at 6th Ave NW and NW 47th St in Seattle, which seems to be a rather standard non-arterial intersection (apart from 6th Ave NW being a bit wider than normal) but which apparently had a signal at one point.

Now today, I stumbled on another one, at Carleton Ave S and S Willow St. Both of these streets are quite wide for a non-arterial (especially Carleton, which is wider than some arterials), so presumably they were once more important than they are now, but it still seems weird to think that it would ever have made sense to have a signal here!

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

https://goo.gl/maps/MvvU6VRMNepnJndW9
Noticed that NJ still uses the four section permissive left signal heads.  Are they the only state that uses these, as it seems that everywhere else I have been to uses either five sections or doghouse signal heads?

NYC occasionally installs them, so do municipalities on Long Island (mainly townships, the counties less so)

[SkyPesos]

https://goo.gl/maps/MvvU6VRMNepnJndW9
Noticed that NJ still uses the four section permissive left signal heads.  Are they the only state that uses these, as it seems that everywhere else I have been to uses either five sections or doghouse signal heads?

NYC occasionally installs them, so do municipalities on Long Island (mainly townships, the counties less so)

The only place I've seen 4 section permissive signals is Ontario, which is why I associate with the province. Never seen them in the states before.