Traffic signal

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Came across a pair of intersections that use the rare inteli light PV signals (the ones with the giant heat sinks on the back) in NY. Not sure if it's a town or county installation

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jCib75gynxF3bxbc7

[jakeroot]

Came across a pair of intersections that use the rare inteli light PV signals (the ones with the giant heat sinks on the back) in NY. Not sure if it's a town or county installation

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jCib75gynxF3bxbc7

Nice! Somehow, these are already rare. Many of the ones in Southwest Washington (state) were replaced after they became waterlogged due to either a manufacturing defect or design defect (not sure which). I only know of a handful in the Seattle region now.

I'm not sure I have seen an Intelight ESB painted yellow like that. The only ones I've seen have been black. Not sure I've seen any on wire-span either. Cool!!

[US 89]

I'm not sure I have seen an Intelight ESB painted yellow like that. The only ones I've seen have been black.

There is a yellow pair of this signal type on a ramp meter on I-15 in Salt Lake City:

https://goo.gl/maps/FcNXodBuPSHmayMs9

Seems hanging one on a wire span would defeat the whole PV purpose as they might blow around in the wind... though I have to note that from what I've seen, the PV aspect of those signals does not seem to work on that Utah ramp meter.

[cl94]

Came across a pair of intersections that use the rare inteli light PV signals (the ones with the giant heat sinks on the back) in NY. Not sure if it's a town or county installation

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jCib75gynxF3bxbc7

Town. This isn't the dominant type of PV signal in New York, but there are a decent amount of them scattered around.

Seems hanging one on a wire span would defeat the whole PV purpose as they might blow around in the wind... though I have to note that from what I've seen, the PV aspect of those signals does not seem to work on that Utah ramp meter.

NY has a decent amount of PV signals on span wire, mostly local installs. Though NY span wire tends to have tether wires, so there is minimal blowing.

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Usually for visibility limits NY uses McCains or louvers, with some old 3M holdouts.

The only other installation I've seen use intelilight is one in Riverhead, which is a state one. Even then it is only a pole mounted signal. The other visibility limited signals are louvers.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sBFKQ71XkPfN7Lmz5

[RobbieL2415]

While looking for the location of a Reddit post from Lowell, MA this week, I came across this signal just down the street.  I was trying to figure out where the signal heads were for this direction until I noticed the red signal on the far left corner.  From what I've seen on the forum, I know MA has some weird signals, but this is dangerous in my opinion.

MA likes pole signals.
There's several intersections in Longmeadow that are pole-only.

[SkyPesos]

FYA signal for a parking garage entrance

Had some classes in the area, so went over there and took two photos:


The pedestrian crossing is large (total of 12 pedestrian signals!), but nothing is marked on the pavement that it's a pedestrian crossing.


Protected green to the parking garage entrance at the same time as the pedestrian crossings.

This is a good example of a location for a HAWK signal, not at the location of my photo from a week ago.

[jay8g]

I've never been a fan of HAWK signals, and the whole "should be installed at least 100 feet from side streets or driveways that are controlled by stop or yield signs" thing is one of the reasons for that. Except in limited situations, such as trail crossings or building/business entrances, mid-block crosswalks tend to push pedestrians out of their desired path of travel, since people tend to walk along streets, not through random bits of private property. Granted, this isn't unique to HAWK signals -- Oregon installs a lot of mid-block RRFBs that would make much more sense at an actual intersection -- but it's still a frustrating design tendency.

[jakeroot]

I've never been a fan of HAWK signals, and the whole "should be installed at least 100 feet from side streets or driveways that are controlled by stop or yield signs" thing is one of the reasons for that. Except in limited situations, such as trail crossings or building/business entrances, mid-block crosswalks tend to push pedestrians out of their desired path of travel, since people tend to walk along streets, not through random bits of private property. Granted, this isn't unique to HAWK signals -- Oregon installs a lot of mid-block RRFBs that would make much more sense at an actual intersection -- but it's still a frustrating design tendency.

Totally agreed. Mid-block crossings are far better when they connect to some kind of cycle path or trail. Good example of a HAWK for that situation here along WA-181 in Kent, connecting the Interurban Trail with the Puget Power Trail. Less useful HAWK here in Mill Creek, which doesn't seem to align with any sort of path apart from a parking lot crosswalk (I would have personally placed that HAWK at the intersection with 137th Pl SE, MUTCD be-damned).

[SignBridge]

In Iselin, New Jersey, there is a HAWK protected crosswalk on NJ Rt. 27 at the Metropark train station and said crosswalk is only about 15 feet from a stop-sign controlled intersection. So much for that guidance in the MUTCD.

[Caps81943]

Left turn yield on green?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2083077,-71.1198731,3a,29.8y,77.45h,97.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDi6SFlI0B0fM7Yy-V3NowA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[Mr Kite]

I've never been a fan of HAWK signals, and the whole "should be installed at least 100 feet from side streets or driveways that are controlled by stop or yield signs" thing is one of the reasons for that. Except in limited situations, such as trail crossings or building/business entrances, mid-block crosswalks tend to push pedestrians out of their desired path of travel, since people tend to walk along streets, not through random bits of private property. Granted, this isn't unique to HAWK signals -- Oregon installs a lot of mid-block RRFBs that would make much more sense at an actual intersection -- but it's still a frustrating design tendency.

In the UK, our pelican crossings (analogous to hawks) have zig-zag lines on the approach which highlight the control area of the crossing and allow them to be used near unsignalised sideroads.

As an outsider who is nonetheless familiar with the "hybrid method" that hawks are trying implement, I'm also no convinced about their application. For a start, flashing alternating red lights instinctively suggests to me that you must stop and not go through under any circumstances. This is because, here at least, flashing double reds mean emergency services can't go through, even with their lights on - most commonly used at railway level crossings. So using it for "proceed when clear" seems counterintuitive to me.

Also, we're phasing out our pelican crossings here. No new ones are allowed, although existing ones can remain for the duration of their serviceable life. This is because they've been superseded by a crossing which uses detection technology so that the lights change quickly as soon as the crosswalk is clear. An advantage of this is that the standard traffic signal sequence seen at intersections is used, as the inbetween "flashing" stage is made redundant. So it's kinda weird that the US is going down this route 50 years after we first did and after it was already made obsolete here.

[kphoger]

Left turn yield on green?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2083077,-71.1198731,3a,29.8y,77.45h,97.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDi6SFlI0B0fM7Yy-V3NowA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That's a weird one.  I can't find a single GSV shot that shows it with any indication other than a red arrow.  I suppose, theoretically, it could have a green ball as the lowest aspect.  But I doubt it.

[fwydriver405]

Left turn yield on green?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2083077,-71.1198731,3a,29.8y,77.45h,97.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDi6SFlI0B0fM7Yy-V3NowA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That's a weird one.  I can't find a single GSV shot that shows it with any indication other than a red arrow.  I suppose, theoretically, it could have a green ball as the lowest aspect.  But I doubt it.

Similar situation at NH 108 at Back River Rd. Ever since they changed the signal from a 4-section bimodal to a FYA in 2012, the R10-12 (Left Turn Yield on Green) sign still remains...

[jakeroot]

Left turn yield on green?

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.2083077,-71.1198731,3a,29.8y,77.45h,97.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sDi6SFlI0B0fM7Yy-V3NowA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

That's a weird one.  I can't find a single GSV shot that shows it with any indication other than a red arrow.  I suppose, theoretically, it could have a green ball as the lowest aspect.  But I doubt it.

Similar situation at NH 108 at Back River Rd. Ever since they changed the signal from a 4-section bimodal to a FYA in 2012, the R10-12 (Left Turn Yield on Green) sign still remains...

At least there, I can understand how there may be some confusion since the left turns still get to yield (they just grabbed the wrong sign from the yard, I suppose). With the Canton example, the left turn is, and has always been, fully protected. Every left turn at that intersection is fully protected for that matter. No left turns ever get to yield.

I thought maybe it was a flashing yellow arrow that was retrofitted and had the wrong sign installed (incredibly unlikely, but doesn't hurt to consider), but this GSV shot confirms it is fully-protected.

[roadman65]

I see an unusual signal back that I have never scene before.



Combination of flat back and domed back.

[jakeroot]

Fixed to make it a bit more visible:

I see an unusual signal back that I have never scene before.



Combination of flat back and domed back.

[SignBridge]

Check out those gas prices. I know they're always higher in Calif. than New York.  How recent is this photo?

[sprjus4]

$4+ seems to becoming the norm in many parts of the state, nowadays.

[jakeroot]

Same here in Washington too. Didn't catch me off-guard when I found the original photo on his Flickr. Under $4/gal is pretty rare except for diesel.

[SkyPesos]

A bike signal at my college started operating a couple days ago. Though I'm wondering, aren't all newly installed signals required to have a backplate in 2021?

[jakeroot]

A bike signal at my college started operating a couple days ago. Though I'm wondering, aren't all newly installed signals required to have a backplate in 2021?

Definitely no such rule. Though many places that formerly did not use backplates or used only black backplates have since adopted the backplate with retroreflective yellow border, many places do not use backplates.

Around me, places like British Columbia, as well as Spokane and Renton (WA) largely only use backplates overhead, with all post-mounted or mast-mounted signals not having backplates (with some exceptions). Kent, WA does not use backplates at all, although they used to.

Elsewhere, Illinois seems quite conservative with their backplate usage as well. Particularly Chicago.

[roadman65]

Check out those gas prices. I know they're always higher in Calif. than New York.  How recent is this photo?

July 7, 2021.

[Hobart]

A bike signal at my college started operating a couple days ago. Though I'm wondering, aren't all newly installed signals required to have a backplate in 2021?

Definitely no such rule. Though many places that formerly did not use backplates or used only black backplates have since adopted the backplate with retroreflective yellow border, many places do not use backplates.

Around me, places like British Columbia, as well as Spokane and Renton (WA) largely only use backplates overhead, with all post-mounted or mast-mounted signals not having backplates (with some exceptions). Kent, WA does not use backplates at all, although they used to.

Elsewhere, Illinois seems quite conservative with their backplate usage as well. Particularly Chicago.

Loosely related, but I will say that the parts of Illinois that aren't in Chicagoland are a lot more open to using backplates. I've seen it go both ways, even between different parts of Kankakee.

[zachary_amaryllis]

When walking along busy BC 1A near New Westminster, a motorist on a side street asked me to activate the pedestrian signal so she could get a break in traffic, and I obliged.

I was waiting to turn onto a busy street with one of those last night... and I got out of the car, hit the button, and ran back to my car.