Traffic signal

[PurdueBill]

I'm guessing "grandfathered", in this case, just means "no money has been set aside to replace it".

I love weird signals, but this one might be a little too weird to me. With the odd requirement to basically slam on your brakes, to pedestrians somehow needing to understand that red and yellow means "go"? lol. Definitely a signal design that will forever need signage (so no better than a HAWK...that definitely isn't a compliment).

Where does it require you to slam on your breaks ? The signal turns yellow first, before going red and yellow. The stop in the middle of the intersection requirement is really for turning vehicles clearing the intersection, to prevent them for finishing that turn. However, most non pedestrian only RY signals give an all red, before going R and Y.

These signals will probably all be replaced soon so I doubt signage would be a good investment. Many cities have already removed the RY, but they often don't add no turn on red signs after doing that, which is upsetting in a pedestrian perspective.

Slamming on the brakes was something that was mentioned in drivers' ed when I took it in high school in Massachusetts so many years ago...the instructor said that flashing green means "subject to change" and if a kid on the corner wants to see the Corvette coming down the street stand on end, he will push the pedestrian button just at the right time to make the light turn red.  Indeed many flashing green signals had basically no delay between the button push making the call and the signals changing, so people could trigger a red light just for kicks if they wanted to.

[Lukeisroads]

2. These new traffic signals in Houston look amazing! I like how futuristic the design looks with the oval backplates. It reminds me on traffic signal designs I've seen internationally. Also it's interesting to see street suffixes spelled out in full - especially "boulevard".
[/quote]
well that was the easiest easter egg hunt ive ever done

[Scott5114]

Two interesting things I recently found on Google Street View:

1. It appears like both red and green lights were lit at the same time at this traffic signal. However, I think it's likely the Street View car snapped a photo really fast and the signal didn't have any all-red clearance time. Regardless of the situation, it is a bizarre thing to see.

It looks like an incandescent bulb. Those always had some overlap time because it takes a second or two for the filament to cool off after the power's cut.

[connroadgeek]

2. These new traffic signals in Houston look amazing! I like how futuristic the design looks with the oval backplates. It reminds me on traffic signal designs I've seen internationally. Also it's interesting to see street suffixes spelled out in full - especially "boulevard".

Biggest issue I have with this is the signals are on the opposite side of the intersection, and look to be about 100 ft from the stop line. Even with 12 inch lenses it seems like they would be hard to see by approaching traffic.

[Dirt Roads]

2. These new traffic signals in Houston look amazing! I like how futuristic the design looks with the oval backplates. It reminds me on traffic signal designs I've seen internationally. Also it's interesting to see street suffixes spelled out in full - especially "boulevard".

Biggest issue I have with this is the signals are on the opposite side of the intersection, and look to be about 100 ft from the stop line. Even with 12 inch lenses it seems like they would be hard to see by approaching traffic.

Wow!  The only way I could see this working for some folks is if that set of signals is programmed as "all phase green/all phase yellow/all phase red" so as not to confuse drivers.

[roadfro]

2. These new traffic signals in Houston look amazing! I like how futuristic the design looks with the oval backplates. It reminds me on traffic signal designs I've seen internationally. Also it's interesting to see street suffixes spelled out in full - especially "boulevard".

Biggest issue I have with this is the signals are on the opposite side of the intersection, and look to be about 100 ft from the stop line. Even with 12 inch lenses it seems like they would be hard to see by approaching traffic.

Wow!  The only way I could see this working for some folks is if that set of signals is programmed as "all phase green/all phase yellow/all phase red" so as not to confuse drivers.

How is that signal placement any different or less visible than any other big intersections in Texas?

[CovalenceSTU]

Old Oregon drawbridges used to use these single horizontal signals - the first one was green in the center with yellow on both ends (which flashed when the bridge was up) and the second one had red on the left, green in the middle, and yellow on the right. All 3 bridges connecting Astoria and Warrenton, OR on US 101 used to have them, but they were slowly phased out with the last one being removed around 2016.



(Best pictures I could find on Street View, I don't have any of my own and can't find others that show the color of the signals.)

[jakeroot]

Interesting. Horizontal signals, painted grey ... these must have floated across the ocean from Japan!

[Jet380]

Interesting. Horizontal signals, painted grey ... these must have floated across the ocean from Japan!

It's not just the physical design that seems to have been imported. Some areas in Japan also use a yellow - green - yellow arrangement to warn of a red light further ahead:

[jakeroot]

Interesting! I have not seen anything like that here on the island. Couple spots have some signals way out ahead of the actual signal, like here. And I see traffic signals used on top of matrix displays for the expressway interchanges, like here, which do have a yellow center signal, but I haven't the faintest clue what the outer colors are.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/EbwJUpCz6utZkgTR8
I still find NYC left turn signals on one way streets as well as bike signals fascinating.

[Amtrakprod]

https://goo.gl/maps/EbwJUpCz6utZkgTR8
I still find NYC left turn signals on one way streets as well as bike signals fascinating.

Me too!

They're getting common now. Here's a map of almost all the bike signals in the US: http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~monserec/bicycle_signals.htm

[JoePCool14]

This is something I've never seen or known about before: a permanent span-wire signal in Wisconsin. This one is on WI-167 in Mequon, north of Milwaukee.

https://goo.gl/maps/HCkeY1rFgC6b3sWc6

[Big John]

^^ That goes against WisDOT policy that only temporary signals  may use span wires.

[D-Dey65]

i remember when I used to think traffic signals with square visors and flush lenses looked futuristic. At some point, I found out they were older than me.

[fillup420]

I saw this weird one in person in San Francisco last week walking back to my uncle's place just up the street. This is Vermont St at 16th St. When the light changes off the red, the bottom 2 lights flash yellow arrows. Vermont St becomes a one way street south of 16th heading north.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7661193,-122.4046944,3a,19.7y,175.32h,94.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6atbRrC8knASjKzRRARyKw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

This is incredibly strange. But I love it!

that is similar to this setup in Durham NC. I was slightly confused by it at first, until i realized the opposing street was one way inbound.

edit: Kinda hard to see, but the doghouse has flashing yellow arrows on both bottom aspects.

[bcroadguy]

The traffic signals at Railway Ave and Bow Valley Trail in Canmore, Alberta are very interesting.

This intersection was redesigned by a Dutch company in 2019. It has Dutch-style bike lanes with separate bike signals.

The primary overhead signals are all near-side. The through lane has double red balls, which is usually reserved for protected left turn signals in Alberta (and Texas at some point). The right and left turn lanes both feature red arrows (right and left turns are both protected only). I have never seen red arrows outside of Quebec in Canada before.

[plain]

Thanks for posting this. Yes this does indeed confirm that there's red arrows outside of Quebec. Even the NTOR signs have red arrows!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/4nUcU1cnzoKoK98UA


Western Alberta seems to have all sorts of wackiness going on (as far as Alberta and Canada in general goes).

This 3-section left turn signal, while it doesn't have the red arrow, has double reds and a bimodal yellow/green

https://maps.app.goo.gl/7GwJzCbSN5ri5oA96



But I do see this recently installed 5-section tower in Banff which does have a red arrow, but in a very weird place: in the 4th aspect (where a yellow arrow would normally be). Below it is what I would assume is a typical bimodal yellow/green arrow, but I can't find a single angle where a green arrow is actually on, even when thru traffic has a green. Could it be an FYA??

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xA1XSZN2J2GHS3MC9

[JoePCool14]

Belvidere must have some tall pedestrians. This photo doesn't quite convey it, but that ped signal is way taller than normal. It's taller than the vehicle signals to the right!



IL-76 at US-20 Bus near Belvidere, IL.

[jakeroot]

But I do see this recently installed 5-section tower in Banff which does have a red arrow, but in a very weird place: in the 4th aspect (where a yellow arrow would normally be). Below it is what I would assume is a typical bimodal yellow/green arrow, but I can't find a single angle where a green arrow is actually on, even when thru traffic has a green. Could it be an FYA??

https://maps.app.goo.gl/xA1XSZN2J2GHS3MC9

I think that may indeed be a flashing yellow arrow. Very, very odd!! Great spot.

[Lukeisroads]

What Traffic Light Is This https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9527809,-120.4003198,3a,17.8y,247.22h,102.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svqq5Eud1IWDg9P3veg3HIQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[jakeroot]

What Traffic Light Is This https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9527809,-120.4003198,3a,17.8y,247.22h,102.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svqq5Eud1IWDg9P3veg3HIQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I believe it's a DuraSig.

[roadman65]

https://goo.gl/maps/PjXghur5dJJyEwFz9
A signal added in the late seventies or early eighties was allowed one signal head operation.

https://goo.gl/maps/pZQbmCfeKJD54NMMA
This one is an oddity. Three left turn signal heads but only two straight through heads.

[Big John]

^^ For the first link, panning over shows a stop sign on the left side.   For the second link I saw one like that in Georgia all in the same cable for a triple left turn.

[jakeroot]

https://goo.gl/maps/PjXghur5dJJyEwFz9
A signal added in the late seventies or early eighties was allowed one signal head operation.

https://goo.gl/maps/pZQbmCfeKJD54NMMA
This one is an oddity. Three left turn signal heads but only two straight through heads.

^^ For the first link, panning over shows a stop sign on the left side.   For the second link I saw one like that in Georgia all in the same cable for a triple left turn.

For the first link: you can go back in historic street view and see the old setup, where there were extra signal heads that have since been removed.

Regarding Georgia: having three left turn signal heads all in a row for a triple left turn would be pretty standard. The trick is three left turn signal heads for a single left turn lane.