Odd companion to red light

[ChoralScholar]

When coming up US-231 from Florida, I came upon this strange traffic signal.  It was a standard stoplight, but accompanying it when it was red, the third light from the left strobed back and forth between a red circle and a bright white circle.  It probably strobed back and forth about four times a second.

I imagine it is there to get your attention when the light is red.  Anyone else seen this?
(Sorry about the dirty windshield - it was late and I was tired.)

[formulanone]

I saw a number of those in the Dothan, Alabama area...usually when there is a few miles between signals.

New York seems to use some sort of "embedded strobe" inside one of the red ball lamps itself; I've only seen them on some intersections along their parkways.

Florida rarely uses them, and if so, they're a once-per-second strobe. The only one I can think of offhand is at Seminole Pratt & Whitney Road off eastbound FL 80 / US 441.

[Big John]

They have those in GA and AL too as far as I know, but MUTCD now prohibits the strobes.

[ChoralScholar]

I saw a number of those in the Dothan, Alabama area...usually when there is a few miles between signals.

New York seems to use some sort of "embedded strobe" inside one of the red ball lamps itself; I've only seen them on some intersections along their parkways.

Florida rarely uses them, and if so, they're a once-per-second strobe. The only one I can think of offhand is at Seminole Pratt & Whitney Road off eastbound FL 80 / US 441.

Sorry I wasn't very clear - It was in Alabama: either between Dothan and the FL line, or between Dothan and Troy. I was coming up FROM Florida on US 231.

[1995hoo]

There's a strobe on eastbound Duke Street at Diagonal Road in Alexandria, Virginia; I went through it Friday and I'll try to upload dashcam video later today after I download (assuming the strbe is clear).

There's another in Alexandria on eastbound Edsall Road at Yoakum Parkway. Before we got married my now-wife lived on Yoakum, so I used to pass through that all the time, but nowadays not so much.

In both of the above cases, the log is either just over a crest or just around a curve, so presumably the strobe is to help call attention to it.

I recall there also used to be one somewhere in Culpeper County on US-29 when you came upon a light after a long stretch of there not being any, but I'm pretty sure it's been removed. I do not recall which intersection it was because I just don't normally use that route to and from Charlottesville anymore.

[signalman]

There is (or used to be) strobes on the expressway section of US 209 near Stroudsburg, PA.  I'm not sure if they're still there since I don't pass through that intersection as much as I used to.  The last few times I have been though I've been lucky enough to have a green light.

[Alex]

As discussed previously on the forum, including the MUTCD rules on it:

Traffic Lights With Strobes...

[cpzilliacus]

I recall there also used to be one somewhere in Culpeper County on US-29 when you came upon a light after a long stretch of there not being any, but I'm pretty sure it's been removed. I do not recall which intersection it was because I just don't normally use that route to and from Charlottesville anymore.

I have not been through there in quite a few years, but the intersection of U.S. 50/U.S. 17 and U.S. 340 in Boyce, Clarke County, Va. had strobes in its red lenses.

[Roadsguy]

Once in a while, PennDOT uses horizontal LED bars that strobe about once per second, as mentioned. They're usually used at the ends of freeways, or in places after a long stretch of no signal lights. For instance, there's one at the end of the US 202 freeway in West Chester, a random intersection before the trumpet where it feeds into the original road. I think there's also some on the gap in the US 30 freeway north of York, but I'm not sure about that.

[1995hoo]

I recall there also used to be one somewhere in Culpeper County on US-29 when you came upon a light after a long stretch of there not being any, but I'm pretty sure it's been removed. I do not recall which intersection it was because I just don't normally use that route to and from Charlottesville anymore.

I have not been through there in quite a few years, but the intersection of U.S. 50/U.S. 17 and U.S. 340 in Boyce, Clarke County, Va. had strobes in its red lenses.

I went through there last month on 340 and I can't say I recall noticing any strobes.

[jp the roadgeek]

There's one at the junction of US 6/202 and NY 22 in Brewster, NY.  Could be used in conjunction with or a substitute for a crosswalk signal.

[1995hoo]

There's a strobe on eastbound Duke Street at Diagonal Road in Alexandria, Virginia; I went through it Friday and I'll try to upload dashcam video later today after I download (assuming the strobe is clear).

....

Here is the video: http://s31.photobucket.com/user/1995hoo/media/Dashcam%20videos/Strobe_zps864b0786.mp4.html

[Ian]

Once in a while, PennDOT uses horizontal LED bars that strobe about once per second, as mentioned. They're usually used at the ends of freeways, or in places after a long stretch of no signal lights. For instance, there's one at the end of the US 202 freeway in West Chester, a random intersection before the trumpet where it feeds into the original road. I think there's also some on the gap in the US 30 freeway north of York, but I'm not sure about that.

They're also used in spots where red light running is common, as the strobe makes the red light stand out more to drivers who might not have otherwise seen it. For example, here's one over in Upper Darby along Bishop Avenue, where the road curves at Hawarden Road, where the red lights aren't seen to those coming around the corner.

[webfil]

There are quite a good amount of theses strobes in English parts of Montréal island. I've seen some in Beaconsfield (ironic name) and one in Mont-Royal, angle Côte-de-Liesse and Rockland roads.

[Mr_Northside]

Once in a while, PennDOT uses horizontal LED bars that strobe about once per second, as mentioned. They're usually used at the ends of freeways, or in places after a long stretch of no signal lights. For instance, there's one at the end of the US 202 freeway in West Chester, a random intersection before the trumpet where it feeds into the original road. I think there's also some on the gap in the US 30 freeway north of York, but I'm not sure about that.

I hadn't seen any in western PA in a while, but about 2 weeks ago I had to make a trip down PA-50 from I-79, and encountered an intersection where I saw one of the signals still flashing a strobe.  It's companion didn't have one, nor the left turn signal next to it.  I didn't use the road in the reverse direction on the way back, so I can't vouch for if any of those  had strobes.  All the signals @ the intersection looked pretty beat.

[dfnva]

I recall there also used to be one somewhere in Culpeper County on US-29 when you came upon a light after a long stretch of there not being any, but I'm pretty sure it's been removed. I do not recall which intersection it was because I just don't normally use that route to and from Charlottesville anymore.

I have not been through there in quite a few years, but the intersection of U.S. 50/U.S. 17 and U.S. 340 in Boyce, Clarke County, Va. had strobes in its red lenses.

Until around 2001 or 2002, the signals at US-50 and US-15 (Gilbert's Corner; Loudoun County, VA) had horizontal strobe panels in the red lights. There were some along US-29 at one time, though can't remember specific intersections, except they were south of Warrenton. 

I don't recall them at the intersection in Boyce, though I believe those signals were also replaced some time in the late '90s / early 2000's, plus LED bulbs were put in at some time thereafter. It may have been prior to the LED's or the prior installation (when it used to be a classic '80s span wire with large backplates on the signals) -- then again I could be totally confused.

[cpzilliacus]

Until around 2001 or 2002, the signals at US-50 and US-15 (Gilbert's Corner; Loudoun County, VA) had horizontal strobe panels in the red lights. There were some along US-29 at one time, though can't remember specific intersections, except they were south of Warrenton.

Curiously, I don't remember those at all - and I have driven  through there somewhat regularly for many years  (and, of course, the signal there has been replaced by a complex of three roundabouts that works better than I thought it would).

I don't think the signal at U.S. 29/U.S. 15 and Va. 28 (Catlett Road) in Fauquier County had them.  I'm thinking it might have been one of the at-grade signalized intersections between Culpeper and the Culpeper County/Fauquier County border near Remington.

I don't recall them at the intersection in Boyce, though I believe those signals were also replaced some time in the late '90s / early 2000's, plus LED bulbs were put in at some time thereafter. It may have been prior to the LED's or the prior installation (when it used to be a classic '80s span wire with large backplates on the signals) -- then again I could be totally confused.

This was well before VDOT started to install any LED bulbs in signal heads.  Might have been as far back as the 1990's.  I especially recall the strobes on westbound U.S. 50/northbound U.S. 17.

And yes, that intersection at Boyce had the "classic" (as you say) span wire with the backplates, pretty common across much of Virginia. 

[dfnva]

And yes, that intersection at Boyce had the "classic" (as you say) span wire with the backplates, pretty common across much of Virginia.

That makes sense, since I didn't think I remembered the strobes with the signals in the current mast arm assembly.

I guess span wires themselves aren't necessarily classic (though becoming less numerous in VA), but I was rather referring to the signals with the cool-looking large back plates that were used in the '80s with LFE, Eagle Alusig, Marbelite, Crouse-Hinds, and other signals (much bigger than the current backplates used), a rarity these days, except around Richmond's suburbs. (for example... http://goo.gl/maps/tRQts)

I don't consider them classic if, like around Northern Virginia, the span wires have McCains.   -- but now I'm off topic! haha

-Dan

[dfnva]

Not to bump, but on driving US-29 in VA yesterday, I encountered two intersections that still had red lights with horizontal strobes:
* US-29 (US-15 / US-17) at US-29 (US-15 / US-17) Business just south of Warrenton.
* US-29 at VA-230 just south of Madison.

Both had Late '90s/Early 2000's era Eagle Mark IV signals, which means VDOT was still installing signals with strobes as recently as 10-12 years ago.

[MASTERNC]

There is one signal with strobes near me at the end of the ramp from US 202 South to PA 252 in Valley Forge.  There is one set of strobes to cover the ramp/frontage road, and one going south on PA 252 (given there are two lights in short distance).

[ET21]

They have these strobes on US 20 for the 3 traffic lights Between Rockford and Freeport. Mainly it's for safety at night

[SidS1045]

Massachusetts Turnpike, exit 6 (I-291 to Springfield and Burdett Road to Chicopee).  The traffic signals at the ramp and I-291/Burdett Road have a circular strobe around the outer edge of the red ball.

[hm insulators]

Never heard of these before.

[ChoralScholar]

Massachusetts Turnpike, exit 6 (I-291 to Springfield and Burdett Road to Chicopee).  The traffic signals at the ramp and I-291/Burdett Road have a circular strobe around the outer edge of the red ball.

I was really tired when I took the pic for the OP, but I believe that's what this one was.

[Signal]

Older versions of these had a strobing line through the center. (A few companies made those, I knew at one point but don't remember.)
The newer version has a strobing outline. (I don't know who makes those.)

Here is my video of the strobing bar lens, I have several locally.
Sorry, I didn't use a good camera to take this, so the frames aren't quick enough to catch most of the flashes. You cans still see some though.