Traffic signal

[jeffandnicole]

Not interesting for most of you, I'd reckon. But the sort of setup below is extremely rare in Washington, because

a) there's two turn signals (not required but ubiquitous in Spokane);
b) they're mounted in the median (extremely rare in Spokane, unheard of elsewhere in Washington); but mostly because
c) the secondary left turn head is mounted both near-side and at eye-level.

N Monroe St @ Wall St, Spokane, WA.

Quite a common setup on major thoroughfares throughout New York City; however, the DOT does not use short poles for its vehicular signals. While I agree that would be benefical for visibility, that is definitely prone to an accident.

What is also unusual about this...and probably can't be done today, is that it's just a pole stuck in the ground.  Almost all posts are the break-away type where if you hit it, it breaks away fairly easily.  This could do some serious damage if you hit it and it snaps higher up...if it breaks at all.

[jeffandnicole]

It has six lights, no wonder it's broken. 

You just have to get a little creative! 

[traffic light guy]

It has six lights, no wonder it's broken. 

You just have to get a little creative! 

No, it only has five

[freebrickproductions]

It has six lights, no wonder it's broken. 

You just have to get a little creative! 

No, it only has five

[epzik8]

At least three signals along Route 24 in the area of Bel Air, Maryland are being upgraded to mast-arms. The new lights have yet to be switched on as of this post. This alignment of Route 24, between U.S. Route 1 and I-95, opened around Thanksgiving 1987, but not all of its signals were immediately placed; the last one didn't arrive until late 1998.

These are the lights being upgraded:


This signal, at U.S. Route 1 Business in the area of the Harford Mall and Tollgate Marketplace, was the only light along "new 24" at the time of its November 1987 opening. (The light at Boulton Street, the northernmost one prior to the U.S. 1 interchange, was activated that December.)

This signal sits at Marketplace Drive. Marketplace Drive is a street that was constructed in 1996, coinciding with the opening of a Target store on the east side of Route 24. It is named after the aforementioned Tollgate Marketplace, which opened in 1979 as the Tollgate Mall.


The next signal after Marketplace is MacPhail Road. This light serves the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, the local MVA complex, a senior citizen activities center, and a small retail center anchored by a Weis grocery store. The original light was placed around 1993. The MVA had opened at the same time as new 24 in 1987. Upper Chesapeake opened in the fall of 2000.

All photos were taken March 8, 2017.

[paulthemapguy]

No, it only has five

Thank you so much for posting that video clip.  I grovel before you, sir. 

[jakeroot]

Noticed this temporary signal today outside of Tacoma, WA. Do temporary signals usually have full yellow backplates? I didn't think the MUTCD permitted anything other than black.

[SignBridge]

Those temporary signals are a surprise as the Manual recommends yellow signal heads. So usually you have a yellow head and dark backplate.

Backplates come in various dark colors including green, brown, etc. Nassau County, N.Y. used yellow ones about 45 years ago for a short time. And I believe yellow is the norm for backplates in Canada.

Also, I don't think the U.S. MUTCD mandates any specific color for backplates, but if anyone knows different, please correct me and advise the section number.

 

[Big John]

^^ Section 4D.12 MUTCD:

20 The inside of signal visors (hoods), the entire surface of louvers and fins, and the front surface of backplates shall have a dull black finish to minimize light reflection and to increase contrast between the signal indication and its background.

[SignBridge]

Excellent; thank-you Big John. I knew the inside of the visors had to be black, (though I've seen them yellow on the inside too), but I wasn't sure about the backplates. I'm almost positive I've seen dark-green and brown ones somewhere, but I don't remember where.

[cl94]

2009 MUTCD also says nothing about signal head color. In fact, at least in a good portion of the northeast, signal faces are typically black and the rear (facing away from traffic) may be any color, especially with state DOTs (with the notable exceptions of NJ and PA). MD also uses black with yellow backs and Ohio changed to all-black when they adopted reflective backplates.

That being said, blackplates must indeed be all-black excluding an optional reflective strip.

[SignBridge]

Cl94 you may be right about the 2009 Manual not addressing signal head color, but I knew I'd seen it somewhere so I checked my old 1988 edition and sure enough, Sec. 4B-24 of that older Manual requires the black backplates and states: To obtain the best possible contrast with the visual background, it is desirable that signal head housings be highway yellow.

I wonder if the FHWA intended to eliminate that recommendation in 2009, or if it was a mistaken omission. Both yellow and dark colors have their pros and cons largely depending on the visual background. 

[cl94]

The yellow recommendation was removed in the 2003 MUTCD. Based on the list of changes and it not being included in any of the 4 editions since (the 2 2003 revisions, 2009 R0 and the current 2009 R 1/2), we can probably assume it was intentional.

At least in these parts, I have heard that black is used for contrast in snow. NYSDOT and a ton of other state agencies, most notably MassDOT, have started using reflective backplates for all new installations, so these bring some of the best of both worlds.

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

On Long Island NY, more specifically Nassau and Suffolk counties, NYSDOT signals are all black with newer signals installed in the past few years having black backplates with reflective yellow tape on the edge. County and town maintained signals are mainly all yellow.

[SignBridge]

Sorry to quibble over a minor point; NYSDOT's signal heads are dark green.

[cl94]

Sorry to quibble over a minor point; NYSDOT's signal heads are dark green.

Many of their newer installations, at least Upstate, have indeed been black.

[SignBridge]

Hmmm........that's interesting news. I've not seen any black ones on Long Island but I will keep an eye out for new installations. Anyone know of any specific ones here that I could check out, especially in Nassau County?

[Revive 755]

Taking this thread in a somewhat different direction, does anyone know of any intersections that have any of the following items:

1) Pedestrian signals with an animated eyes display?

2) Unusual/uncommon cluster arrangements, such as:

       (<R)(R>)                                  (<R)(R>)                             (R)
            (Y)                       or                 (Y)              or                (Y)   
       (<G)(G>)                                      (G)                          (<G)(^G)(G>)

[cl94]

I have seen some with two red arrows in the same direction. One is solid, one flashes. A couple of these are along NY 104 in Wayne County. No idea why they didn't use FYAs here, as these were installed relatively recently. I have not seen another signal with multiple reds in person.

That being said, I have seen some with two opposite-direction green arrows and doghouses with opposite-direction arrows. Cannot remember where. Most T-intersections I have ever seen just use balls with maybe a doghouse for the right turn movement if there's a protected left on the main road.

[plain]

I have seen some with two red arrows in the same direction. One is solid, one flashes. A couple of these are along NY 104 in Wayne County. No idea why they didn't use FYAs here, as these were installed relatively recently. I have not seen another signal with multiple reds in person.

There were several intersections in Delaware along US 13 that had these signals but I didn't see them anymore the last time I was there

[Ian]

I have seen some with two red arrows in the same direction. One is solid, one flashes. A couple of these are along NY 104 in Wayne County. No idea why they didn't use FYAs here, as these were installed relatively recently. I have not seen another signal with multiple reds in person.

There were several intersections in Delaware along US 13 that had these signals but I didn't see them anymore the last time I was there

Delaware has a lot of these signals around the state. Older ones use a red ball verses a red arrow for the solid red phase, but newer ones use arrows for both the red indications.

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Sorry to quibble over a minor point; NYSDOT's signal heads are dark green.

That is true, but mainly for the older installations. Anything in R10 installed by the state in the past 15 or so years has been black.

This one on NY25 was installed around 15 years ago as a replacement and is black, as an example

https://goo.gl/maps/tcP45ppaGso

Older dark green and newer black signals mixed on this installation, also on NY25

https://goo.gl/maps/wBRtDXigGCr

[roadfro]

I have seen some with two red arrows in the same direction. One is solid, one flashes. A couple of these are along NY 104 in Wayne County. No idea why they didn't use FYAs here, as these were installed relatively recently. I have not seen another signal with multiple reds in person.

There were several intersections in Delaware along US 13 that had these signals but I didn't see them anymore the last time I was there

Delaware has a lot of these signals around the state. Older ones use a red ball verses a red arrow for the solid red phase, but newer ones use arrows for both the red indications.

The solid red versus flashing red arrow operation was introduced with the 2009 MUTCD, simultaneously with FYA operations. The FRA was put in to allow permitted left turn operation in places where sight distance or other engineering factors determine that each vehicle must come to a complete stop before making the permissive left turn.

[steviep24]

Sorry to quibble over a minor point; NYSDOT's signal heads are dark green.

That is true, but mainly for the older installations. Anything in R10 installed by the state in the past 15 or so years has been black.

This one on NY25 was installed around 15 years ago as a replacement and is black, as an example

https://goo.gl/maps/tcP45ppaGso

Older dark green and newer black signals mixed on this installation, also on NY25

https://goo.gl/maps/wBRtDXigGCr

Same with region 4 and 5, many older signals are dark green but has been mostly black for around 20 years. Also, all new signals installed in the past two or three years have back plates. 

[cl94]

Also, all new signals installed in the past two or three years have back plates.

Backplates are required by the 2009 MUTCD for locations with an 85th percentile speed or speed limit 45 mph or higher and are recommended for all locations. NYSDOT has generally taken the recommendation and most regions have begun using them everywhere. You won't be seeing many new installations without backplates.