Any traffic signal fans here?

[signalman]

Those are some great older FL installations.  I Appreciate you posting them.

[Hellfighter]

Here's the newest light craze in our area.

[Hensepens]

It's fun to see the traffic light hanging on cables. Something we don't do in The Netherlands and as far as I know in Europe either. Another difference is that in  The Netherlands the traffic lights are before a intersection. Not in the middle or after the intersection.

As a tourist I experienced this difference in the US years ago. On one of my first days I had rented a car in the Washington DC area I stopped before a traffic light. It was dark and there where no street lights. I looked to the right when I saw headlights from another car. At that moment I knew I halted just before the traffic light, on the middle of the intersection.    I decided to ignore the red light and left the intersection....

[Truvelo]

It's fun to see the traffic light hanging on cables. Something we don't do in The Netherlands and as far as I know in Europe either. Another difference is that in  The Netherlands the traffic lights are before a intersection. Not in the middle or after the intersection.

As a tourist I experienced this difference in the US years ago. On one of my first days I had rented a car in the Washington DC area I stopped before a traffic light. It was dark and there where no street lights. I looked to the right when I saw headlights from another car. At that moment I knew I halted just before the traffic light, on the middle of the intersection.    I decided to ignore the red light and left the intersection....

I did exactly the same thing when I first drove in the US. It was on Girard Ave in Philadelphia. I also had to run the red light as I was blocking the intersection. I also passed a school bus with its lights flashing on the same street because I didn't realise at the time that you had to stop for them. Over here school buses unloading kids are treated as parked vehicles and you just blast by them

[Alex]

Definitely a signal fan here, always looking for the oldies in the Sunshine State.

There are a few decent assemblies left on the side streets of Tampa.

I was shocked to find a classic signal in Quincy. Its on the street one block south of U.S. 90. In fact several of the signals there predate the current and even the 1990s standards.



Yeah! I would like to get over there and take some photos; always see them while traveling 275 between Dale Mabry and downtown.

The Quincy one sounds familiar. There might still be a classic 4-way 'boxy' signal in Green Cove Springs west of US 17 and north of SR 16 (this was 6 years ago).

Edit: Is this the Quincy light?

I love the faded green lens too!

I'll dig out the Quincy photos from late last year and post them here. I'm not sure if the one you posted is that one or not.

There are definitely some nice old assemblies on Columbus Street in Tampa. There is also one I never minded waiting for on Lois Avenue. Unfortunately St. Petersburg was/is replacing many of its older assemblies in the downtown area.

The signals under Florida 408 may still be there south of downtown Orlando (they were last fall). Some other 30" signals are still functioning near Lake Ivanhoe. You can see them in the background of this photo: http://www.southeastroads.com/florida500/fl-527_nb_at_orange_av.jpg

[Alex]

Looks to be the same signal in Quincy that Florida photographed, that Brent and I photographed last year. I posted some photos of it and the same intersection of Orange Avenue in Orlando on a new members album thread dedicated to old signal photos.

[Lyle]

I have noticed something unusual regarding traffic lights. Back around the end of the 1990's and the beginning of this decade, many jurisdictions replaced traditional incandescent signal bulbs with LED's. However, most of them only replaced the red and green lights, not the yellow ones. Moreover, in the past couple of years, many of those same jurisdictions started replacing the yellow lights, too. Can anyone shed some light (Pardon the pun!) on this unusual yellow LED behavior?

[florida]

I love the faded green lens too!

I'll dig out the Quincy photos from late last year and post them here. I'm not sure if the one you posted is that one or not.

There are definitely some nice old assemblies on Columbus Street in Tampa. There is also one I never minded waiting for on Lois Avenue. Unfortunately St. Petersburg was/is replacing many of its older assemblies in the downtown area.

The signals under Florida 408 may still be there south of downtown Orlando (they were last fall). Some other 30" signals are still functioning near Lake Ivanhoe. You can see them in the background of this photo: http://www.southeastroads.com/florida500/fl-527_nb_at_orange_av.jpg

Those signals will always be there (they still are), they're forgotten. Did find an old grouping tucked behind the Citrus Bowl last year.

[signalman]

I think that yellow LEDs only recently became available and that is why only the red and green sections were initially replaced.  Plus yellow wasn't as pressing since it's only lit 3-5 seconds per cycle.  Where red and/or green could be lit for 30+ seconds per cycle. 

[Alex]

When the city of Mobile began phasing in LED's, they only installed reds. As time wore on, they started adding greens as well, but yellows remained as the old incandescent bulbs. Nowadays they are all LED's. I assumed they did this as a cost saving measure, thinking that red was the most important color, so change those bulbs out first and add more later as the city budget would allow.

[Hellfighter]

Here's the most common left turn signal in Michigan...

[Coelacanth]

OK, I just had to jump into this thread to ask this question...

Normally, when referring to traffic signals, if I don't call them "traffic signals" I call them "traffic lights" or "stoplights" or just "lights". It would not have occurred to me that there would be anything else to call them.

On Saturday at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere I heard the waitress giving directions to the family at the next table. She said something like "ok, take a left out of our parking light and take a right at the go-lights, not the first set but the second set of go-lights."

I've been a roadgeek all my life and never heard anyone call them go-lights. Is this a regional thing, just some quirky affectation by this particular waitress, or have I just not been paying attention?

[roadfro]

I am also quite a fan of signals, although I'm not quite as knowledgeable about the various brands and such as many others here.

I have noticed something unusual regarding traffic lights. Back around the end of the 1990's and the beginning of this decade, many jurisdictions replaced traditional incandescent signal bulbs with LED's. However, most of them only replaced the red and green lights, not the yellow ones. Moreover, in the past couple of years, many of those same jurisdictions started replacing the yellow lights, too. Can anyone shed some light (Pardon the pun!) on this unusual yellow LED behavior?

When the city of Mobile began phasing in LED's, they only installed reds. As time wore on, they started adding greens as well, but yellows remained as the old incandescent bulbs. Nowadays they are all LED's. I assumed they did this as a cost saving measure, thinking that red was the most important color, so change those bulbs out first and add more later as the city budget would allow.

The City of Las Vegas, NV first changed only red signal bulbs when they started converting signal heads to LED bulbs.  As I recall, Las Vegas was one of the first municipalities to start such conversions on a grand scale--they were doing it citywide.

During the period that the city was converting the reds, they were using all LED displays in newer signal installations.  At the time, the green and yellow LED technology wasn't quite as developed.  I recall several new signal installations where the red light was good, but the yellow lights were quite dim and the green lights were too bright--so much so that I believe the public works office got some complaints.

Eventually, the color/brightness issue was worked out and the city's remaining green and yellow signal displays were converted to LED.  All the jurisdictions within the Las Vegas area are using LEDs for new installations and have converted most (if not all) signal heads from incandescent bulbs.

[signalman]

Go-lights is a new one for me too.  I probably would have asked the waitress where they were going.

[Tom]

Found this photo by E. Lorey of a traffic light that survived a tornado that went through downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan in May 1980:
http://www.vanishedkalamazoo.com/tornado/isb2.jpg

P.S. I remember hearing the term "go-light" in the late 1980's.

[thenetwork]

Definitely a traffic light fan here.

I don't have too many, nae, maybe one or 2 photos directly involving traffic lights, but I can definitely refer those who are traveling through Northeast Ohio, or those who like to do street-level Google Earth-ing, to spend some time cruising around for a great array of traffic lights, although there has been a big push in recent years to replace all older cable-hung signal systems with new mast-mounted ones -- Especially in Cuyahoga County.  Not only that, but its getting rarer by the day to find any Green or Black traffic lights in Akron.

Some highly recommended areas:

East Cleveland (best visited in the daytime -- trust me):  Most of the lights off of the main routed thoroughfares (US-6, US 20) in this very poor neighborhood go back to the 50's and 60's easily. Had I not moved away from Cleveland 3 years ago, this would have been a great area to spend the day taking pictures of literally a working museum of lights and signs from over 40 years ago. Best Bets -- Superior Road.

Lorain County (West of Cleveland):  A lot of intersections with 50's/60's lights -- many with one light in each direction (must be fun when bulbs burn out) a lot with direction arrow lenses.  Best bets -- Lorain Proper and South Amherst off of SR-58 (Along old SR-113).

Ravenna (East of Akron):  A wonderful array of old-school metal lights.  The city even went as far as buying old lights and refurbishing them to place on the main drag (SR-59) downtown.  Best Bets: The old SR 44 alignment through town.

Youngstown:  A city so poor and decrepit, they are trying to close large areas of neighborhoods to avoid having to maintain/light/plow/etc... them.  Best Bets -- Near downtown.  There are still some intersections with the old Blink-o-matic(?) neon crosswalk lights that are still working, while others have been broken for so long one could probably be disassemble one in broad daylight with nobody noticing or caring.

And if anybody ever does venture into these parts, give us a show and tell, please

[UptownRoadGeek]

In the flesh!

[Hellfighter]

[akotchi]

When the city of Mobile began phasing in LED's, they only installed reds. As time wore on, they started adding greens as well, but yellows remained as the old incandescent bulbs. Nowadays they are all LED's. I assumed they did this as a cost saving measure, thinking that red was the most important color, so change those bulbs out first and add more later as the city budget would allow.

LEDs were phased in as a cost-savings measure -- they used in some cases 90% less wattage than the incandescent indications.  Based on my understanding, the red was done first because that is the one that is on the longest.  Green followed later.  Yellow was the last one available.  In some cases, the LED signals are more visible than the incandescents, especially in bright sun.

[Revive 755]

I have noticed something unusual regarding traffic lights. Back around the end of the 1990's and the beginning of this decade, many jurisdictions replaced traditional incandescent signal bulbs with LED's. However, most of them only replaced the red and green lights, not the yellow ones. Moreover, in the past couple of years, many of those same jurisdictions started replacing the yellow lights, too. Can anyone shed some light (Pardon the pun!) on this unusual yellow LED behavior?

I think red LED's were the cheapest ($75 each?), with green being the most expensive ($150 each?)

Anyway, here is an different setup I found in the Des Moines area the other day:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.643957,-93.600551&spn=0,359.956055&z=15&layer=c&cbll=41.643864,-93.600519&panoid=A6ztL2pV5lPfRvCDVZvJ-Q&cbp=12,17.08,,0,-6.78

[Hellfighter]

Anyway, here is an different setup I found in the Des Moines area the other day:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=41.643957,-93.600551&spn=0,359.956055&z=15&layer=c&cbll=41.643864,-93.600519&panoid=A6ztL2pV5lPfRvCDVZvJ-Q&cbp=12,17.08,,0,-6.78

Well, that's weird

[Marc]

Keeping with the LED signal topic...

I live in Fort Bend County (the county to the south and west of Harris County/Houston). In this county, they have been installing LED stoplights for several years now, but here's the catch. Recently, they have gone back to installing incandescent traffic signals in newer intersections. Anyone know why? I have noticed that the LEDs around my area (installed in 2003/2004) have had some issues with large chunks of LEDs failing (leaving only 50% of the red circle lit for example). When they are replaced, it seems they always install incandescent bulbs rather than a new LED signal.

I have also noticed that unincorporated Harris County has yet to even use LED signals for new intersections, but I believe once in the city limits of Houston, you start to see LEDs more.

[US71]

LEDs were phased in as a cost-savings measure -- they used in some cases 90% less wattage than the incandescent indications.  Based on my understanding, the red was done first because that is the one that is on the longest.  Green followed later.  Yellow was the last one available. 

ALSO: since the yellow signal isn't on as long as the red or green, there was less "need" to replace it.
I think Car Talk had a question about this last year sometime.

[Revive 755]

I live in Fort Bend County (the county to the south and west of Harris County/Houston). In this county, they have been installing LED stoplights for several years now, but here's the catch. Recently, they have gone back to installing incandescent traffic signals in newer intersections. Anyone know why? I have noticed that the LEDs around my area (installed in 2003/2004) have had some issues with large chunks of LEDs failing (leaving only 50% of the red circle lit for example). When they are replaced, it seems they always install incandescent bulbs rather than a new LED signal.

Is there a big difference in brightness?  Some of the newer LED designs are somewhat hard to differentiate from incandescents (I didn't even know they were LEDs until informed by MoDOT).

[rickmastfan67]

It's fun to see the traffic light hanging on cables. Something we don't do in The Netherlands and as far as I know in Europe either. Another difference is that in  The Netherlands the traffic lights are before a intersection. Not in the middle or after the intersection.

As a tourist I experienced this difference in the US years ago. On one of my first days I had rented a car in the Washington DC area I stopped before a traffic light. It was dark and there where no street lights. I looked to the right when I saw headlights from another car. At that moment I knew I halted just before the traffic light, on the middle of the intersection.    I decided to ignore the red light and left the intersection....

I did exactly the same thing when I first drove in the US. It was on Girard Ave in Philadelphia. I also had to run the red light as I was blocking the intersection. I also passed a school bus with its lights flashing on the same street because I didn't realise at the time that you had to stop for them. Over here school buses unloading kids are treated as parked vehicles and you just blast by them

So, I take it that you didn't notice the "Stop" sign that the school buses have here on the Left Side of the bus?