Traffic Lights for Residential Driveways

[Alex4897]

http://goo.gl/maps/c6QvH
Suder Avenue - just south of Ottawa River Road.  Light was put in when Kroger was built a few years ago.

On the topic - are the traffic signals serving such driveways turned off at night or dimmed?  One would think it would be a distraction to have three colors beaming into your living room or your bedroom at night.

I'd think that the considerate thing to do would be to have one 8" signal instead of two full blown 12" ones.

[sipes23]

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=crystal+lake+il&ll=42.221667,-88.338367&spn=0.000771,0.00167&client=firefox-a&hnear=Crystal+Lake,+McHenry,+Illinois&gl=us&t=k&z=20&layer=c&cbll=42.221667,-88.338367&panoid=VK9EJObTqFaQw9srXCIWYQ&cbp=12,263.42,,0,7.08

crystal lake il

who pays for the driveway repairs where the loop detectors are?

There aren't loop detectors on those driveways, I don't think. I've driven by that hundreds of times, as I used to live in Crystal Lake. I never gave it a second thought. I've got to be out there next week, so I can drive by and take a closer look.

Though looking at it on Google maps, that is strange.

[Big John]

http://goo.gl/maps/c6QvH
Suder Avenue - just south of Ottawa River Road.  Light was put in when Kroger was built a few years ago.

On the topic - are the traffic signals serving such driveways turned off at night or dimmed?  One would think it would be a distraction to have three colors beaming into your living room or your bedroom at night.

I'd think that the considerate thing to do would be to have one 8" signal instead of two full blown 12" ones.

AASHTO requires the 2 signals though, even if it faces a residential driveway, though 8" lenses would be allowed in this case as it is well below the speed threshold.  But the usual case is for a residential driveway in the intersection not to have a signal facing it.

The 2 intersections in GA I mentioned, both have loop detectors in the driveway and the second has another way out without the signal:

http://goo.gl/maps/u1FL4   http://goo.gl/maps/JH900

[PHLBOS]

http://goo.gl/maps/c6QvH
Suder Avenue - just south of Ottawa River Road.  Light was put in when Kroger was built a few years ago.

On the topic - are the traffic signals serving such driveways turned off at night or dimmed?  One would think it would be a distraction to have three colors beaming into your living room or your bedroom at night.

I hope that's just a traffic camera and not a red-light enforcement camera mounted on the mast-arm of the driveway signals lol.

[Big John]

http://goo.gl/maps/c6QvH
Suder Avenue - just south of Ottawa River Road.  Light was put in when Kroger was built a few years ago.

On the topic - are the traffic signals serving such driveways turned off at night or dimmed?  One would think it would be a distraction to have three colors beaming into your living room or your bedroom at night.

I hope that's just a traffic camera and not a red-light enforcement camera mounted on the mast-arm of the driveway signals lol.

Those are optical detectors used in lieu on in-pavement detectors.

[DrSmith]

There are at least two examples I know of in the Springfield, MA area.

One is at Converse St and Dickinson Rd in Longmeadow, MA.  There are two driveways to the left, each getting its own 3M high visibility signal to control.  One is on the near side of the intersection, the other on the far side.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.067885,-72.554162&spn=0.011246,0.022724&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=42.066269,-72.555291&panoid=NFLEtJitl14X-fojEh9JOA&cbp=12,278.99,,0,0

The other one is Parker St at Nantasket St in Springfield.  There is a traffic light on the right side of the intersection for the driveway on the left.  While there is a detector for the driveway, it frequently doesn't work properly and causes traffic to wait through the cycle of the driveway with no one there. 
https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.143773,-72.495089&spn=0.022592,0.045447&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=42.143846,-72.495047&panoid=5C5qjk92xgCSgzFl6iOdwg&cbp=12,9.13,,0,0

[Takumi]

Last time I checked, CVS and Walgreens are not residences.

Those of us who work in management for them say otherwise.

[Revive 755]

Found one at the Butler Hill Road intersection with Ambs Road south of St. Louis, MO:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=St.+Louis,+MO&hl=en&ll=38.490302,-90.371666&spn=0.001875,0.004128&sll=35.200569,-97.483706&sspn=0.031175,0.066047&oq=st.+louis&hnear=St+Louis,+Missouri&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=38.490233,-90.371592&panoid=y4y0xU-Taq5Oktb5dmtS6A&cbp=12,337.39,,0,6.32

[PColumbus73]

Found one at the Butler Hill Road intersection with Ambs Road south of St. Louis, MO:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=St.+Louis,+MO&hl=en&ll=38.490302,-90.371666&spn=0.001875,0.004128&sll=35.200569,-97.483706&sspn=0.031175,0.066047&oq=st.+louis&hnear=St+Louis,+Missouri&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=38.490233,-90.371592&panoid=y4y0xU-Taq5Oktb5dmtS6A&cbp=12,337.39,,0,6.32

Off topic: Those backplates are hideous.

Here is one in Hilliard, OH

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=hilliard&ll=40.03158,-83.141473&spn=0.000001,0.000431&hnear=Hilliard,+Franklin,+Ohio&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=40.03158,-83.141473&panoid=OJCzn29rxgoKLeQnVIscAA&cbp=12,357.85,,0,-1.4

[jeffandnicole]

http://goo.gl/maps/5OKuk

3 things to look at in that GSV:

A) The side street is called 'No Name Street'.  It leads to a shopping center (and a street named Shoppers Ln).

B) A single traffic light appears to face the driveway.  I couldn't see anything that would activate the light, so it may simply be activated only when traffic from 'No Name St' activates the light.

C) The 3 workers watching the Google Street Camera vehicle drive by.

The opposite problem (and a business driveway at that) - http://goo.gl/maps/4Ilei - The driveway to the right lead directly into the intersection, but the traffic lights did not face that driveway, and anyone trying to come out was on their own.  Ultimately, the construction you see in that GSV eventually fixed that problem.

[realjd]

http://goo.gl/maps/c6QvH
Suder Avenue - just south of Ottawa River Road.  Light was put in when Kroger was built a few years ago.

On the topic - are the traffic signals serving such driveways turned off at night or dimmed?  One would think it would be a distraction to have three colors beaming into your living room or your bedroom at night.

I hope that's just a traffic camera and not a red-light enforcement camera mounted on the mast-arm of the driveway signals lol.

High mounted small cameras like that are always optical traffic detectors used to trigger the light. Red light cameras are always big boxes mounted low enough to get a good image of the license plate and sometimes the driver's face.

http://blog.trapster.com/2011/02/18/the-difference-between-red-light-cameras-traffic-cameras/

[WNYroadgeek]

I know of two, funnily enough they're both on the same street.

http://goo.gl/maps/4D96Z

http://goo.gl/maps/aFfxP

[Alex4897]

Interestingly enough those two intersections only have one signal for the driveways.

[andrewkbrown]

From Wilmington, Ohio.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.449483,-83.801163&spn=0.002394,0.005284&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.449451,-83.802316&panoid=m65ttt-QG1z7nltr1rLzpQ&cbp=12,91.7,,0,-4.15

[Ian]

Weston, MA
http://goo.gl/maps/00qFC

Brickerville, PA (this one's my favorite)
http://goo.gl/maps/WrqMv

[countysigns]

http://goo.gl/maps/c6QvH
Suder Avenue - just south of Ottawa River Road.  Light was put in when Kroger was built a few years ago.

On the topic - are the traffic signals serving such driveways turned off at night or dimmed?  One would think it would be a distraction to have three colors beaming into your living room or your bedroom at night.

I hope that's just a traffic camera and not a red-light enforcement camera mounted on the mast-arm of the driveway signals lol.

Nope, just a traffic camera.

[abc2VE]

Here's one on US-40 here in PA.

And an "ALL TRAFFIC MUST TURN LEFT" sign on the mast arm. Must be fun for this guy trying to get home. Unless they had a white-on-black supplemental plate underneath that said "EXCEPT FRANK".

Wow, I drove right past that when I went to visit California University two weeks ago and never noticed.

[theline]

Brickerville, PA (this one's my favorite)
http://goo.gl/maps/WrqMv

Wow! I count 6 signal heads facing the driveways, including left turn arrows, if I'm interpreting right.

I'm betting the OP had no idea that there would be so many examples of residential driveway signals. I know I didn't. Now that I've seen all these uses, I can easily imagine why it's done. For many of them, a new road or shopping center entrance is put in opposite the existing driveway or an existing road now warrants a signal due to increased traffic. It is more economical to erect and maintain the extra signal heads than to buy out the home owner.

[PurdueBill]

Weston, MA
http://goo.gl/maps/00qFC

Impressively, the Weston one even has a four-head signal facing the driveway!  Protected left, I guess?  Park Rd. has green left arrows so the driveway couldn't have an oncoming green at the same time.

[Big John]

Weston, MA
http://goo.gl/maps/00qFC

Impressively, the Weston one even has a four-head signal facing the driveway!  Protected left, I guess?  Park Rd. has green left arrows so the driveway couldn't have an oncoming green at the same time.

As with a few other instances, they made it a split phase timing so if the driveway gets a green, they are the ones getting the green.

[getemngo]

In lieu of a full-blown red/yellow/green signal, I've seen this alternative a few times in Michigan.

The driveway has one red signal head. When cross traffic has a green light, the driveway has a solid red. When opposing traffic has a green ball (never seen arrows with this setup), the driveway turns to flashing red, like a stop sign. It's not something I'd trust - not everyone reacts predictably, you can't tell when the flashing red cycle will end, and you're screwed if the signal burns out.

[Alex4897]

Brickerville, PA (this one's my favorite)
http://goo.gl/maps/WrqMv

Wow! I count 6 signal heads facing the driveways, including left turn arrows, if I'm interpreting right.

I'm betting the OP had no idea that there would be so many examples of residential driveway signals. I know I didn't. Now that I've seen all these uses, I can easily imagine why it's done. For many of them, a new road or shopping center entrance is put in opposite the existing driveway or an existing road now warrants a signal due to increased traffic. It is more economical to erect and maintain the extra signal heads than to buy out the home owner.

I certainly wasn't expecting anything like Brickerville.   

[realjd]

Brickerville, PA (this one's my favorite)
http://goo.gl/maps/WrqMv

Wow! I count 6 signal heads facing the driveways, including left turn arrows, if I'm interpreting right.

It looks like a 4 light and a 3 light signal for each driveway, with 3 driveways being controlled by the lights.

[signalman]

Brickerville, PA (this one's my favorite)
http://goo.gl/maps/WrqMv

I like these too.  Also, could these possibly be the only driveway signals that have protected lefts?

[JREwing78]

I have a couple:

US-51 @ Cranston Rd, Beloit, WI: http://goo.gl/maps/TJuu6
US-51 @ Inman Pkwy, Beloit, WI: http://goo.gl/maps/o9T9L