Connecticut News

[vdeane]

Newer signals in Albany use what I assume you're calling dark green (looks like black to me).

[dgolub]

Everything in New York except NYCDOT, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse and a handful of counties and smaller localities uses green. I've heard that the dark green is used to increase contrast in snow. In most of Upstate, almost everything is green.

On Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties both use yellow on counties routes, as do most if not all of the towns in Suffolk on town roads.  (In Nassau, almost everything major enough to have traffic lights is maintained by the county, even if it doesn't have a CR number, so traffic lights on town roads are rare.)  The color of the traffic lights is generally a good clue as to whether or not you're on a state route.

[Duke87]

ConnDOT has a proposal to increase safety on CT 82 between I-395 and downtown Norwich

The project would add a median with landscaping from New London Turnpike to Asylum Street. Roundabouts would be constructed at New London Turnpike, Norman Road, Dunham Street, Osgood Street, Mount Pleasant Street and Asylum Street. The roundabouts would slow traffic as well as facilitate U-turns; there would be no other breaks in the median.

From Dunham Street to Ann Street, Route 82 would get a road diet, from 4 lanes to 2, because... (shrug)

Wow. Watch out Malta, Norwich is coming for ya!

As for the partial road diet, are traffic counts lower east of Dunham Street? If not, maybe it's just a compromise between people who wanted to narrow the whole road and people who wanted to keep it all four lanes. Especially with public involvement in the process these decisions are not necessarily rational.

[cl94]

Everything in New York except NYCDOT, Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, Syracuse and a handful of counties and smaller localities uses green. I've heard that the dark green is used to increase contrast in snow. In most of Upstate, almost everything is green.

On Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties both use yellow on counties routes, as do most if not all of the towns in Suffolk on town roads.  (In Nassau, almost everything major enough to have traffic lights is maintained by the county, even if it doesn't have a CR number, so traffic lights on town roads are rare.)  The color of the traffic lights is generally a good clue as to whether or not you're on a state route.

Nassau and Suffolk are two of those handful. Also included are Saratoga and Monroe. Elsewhere (and pretty much everywhere upstate), it's typically green.

[Beeper1]

I-395 exit renumbering is now complete up to the state line.  The full sign replacement is still ongoing, but all posted signs now have the new numbers.   

Still not sure if Mass will alter their BGS SB for old exit 100.  It is now incorrect with the old #.

[shadyjay]

Still not sure if Mass will alter their BGS SB for old exit 100.  It is now incorrect with the old #.

I'm sure they will be changed as part of the project.  The contract plans show overlays for the signs in Mass and to coordinate with MassDOT for the needed modifications, etc.

[bob7374]

Still not sure if Mass will alter their BGS SB for old exit 100.  It is now incorrect with the old #.

I'm sure they will be changed as part of the project.  The contract plans show overlays for the signs in Mass and to coordinate with MassDOT for the needed modifications, etc.

Hopefully, the overlays will be used and MassDOT won't be forced to put up the new exit number using a sharpie like was done with MA 128 for the Endicott Street exit.

[yakra]

Can anyone confirm that
• Old 91 -> 37
• Old 92 -> 38
as shown in OSM?

[kurumi]

Can anyone confirm that
- Old 91 -> 37
- Old 92 -> 38
as shown in OSM?

A graphic in this Woostah News-Telegram article agrees: http://www.telegram.com/article/20151212/NEWS/151219726

[bob7374]

Can anyone confirm that
- Old 91 -> 37
- Old 92 -> 38
as shown in OSM?

A graphic in this Woostah News-Telegram article agrees: http://www.telegram.com/article/20151212/NEWS/151219726

This is the first article I've seen that talks about the upcoming exit number changes in Mass. The writer complains that the PR person at MassDOT hasn't gotten back to her. Guess she doesn't know the right people to talk to. 

[KEVIN_224]

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20151215/NEWS01/151219949/1002

Road work to soon commence on I-84/US 6 in West Hartford and a section of CT Route 15 in New Haven.

[kurumi]

http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20151215/NEWS01/151219949/1002

Road work to soon commence on I-84/US 6 in West Hartford and a section of CT Route 15 in New Haven.

A westbound thru lane from Interchange 39A (Route 9) to Interchange 43;

That from/to description is eastbound, which makes that a little confusing.

[dgolub]

I-395 exit renumbering is now complete up to the state line.  The full sign replacement is still ongoing, but all posted signs now have the new numbers.   

Still not sure if Mass will alter their BGS SB for old exit 100.  It is now incorrect with the old #.

This must be one of the few places (if not the only one) where switching to a milepost system eliminated three-digit exit numbers rather than adding them.

[Mergingtraffic]

Some good news for I-84 drivers in West Hartford....although the added lane should be until I-91.
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20151215/NEWS01/151219949/1002

and I do have I-91 at Exit 29 plans in my e-mail but haven't figured out how to post here yet.

And I-84 Hartford plans:
http://www.centralctcommunications.com/bristolpress/article_aa736be2-9a2b-11e5-9452-53268c0a8186.html

[Alps]

I-395 exit renumbering is now complete up to the state line.  The full sign replacement is still ongoing, but all posted signs now have the new numbers.   

Still not sure if Mass will alter their BGS SB for old exit 100.  It is now incorrect with the old #.

This must be one of the few places (if not the only one) where switching to a milepost system eliminated three-digit exit numbers rather than adding them.

Arizona I-17 would be another candidate if they began it at 0.

[Duke87]

This must be one of the few places (if not the only one) where switching to a milepost system eliminated three-digit exit numbers rather than adding them.

Arizona I-17 would be another candidate if they began it at 0.

Eh? I-17 is more than 100 miles long, so no.

The only other three digit sequential numbers in the country are on NY 17, won't happen there.

If I-84 east of Hartford still had its original exit numbers which were sequential for CT 15, it would happen there.

[jp the roadgeek]

This must be one of the few places (if not the only one) where switching to a milepost system eliminated three-digit exit numbers rather than adding them.

Arizona I-17 would be another candidate if they began it at 0.

Eh? I-17 is more than 100 miles long, so no.

The only other three digit sequential numbers in the country are on NY 17, won't happen there.

If I-84 east of Hartford still had its original exit numbers which were sequential for CT 15, it would happen there.

DE 1 would come close if it went from its kilometer based system to a mile based system

[Alps]

This must be one of the few places (if not the only one) where switching to a milepost system eliminated three-digit exit numbers rather than adding them.

Arizona I-17 would be another candidate if they began it at 0.

Eh? I-17 is more than 100 miles long, so no.

Read the question. Converting it to a zero-based milepost system would "eliminate three-digit exit numbers rather than add them." Converting from 200 to 100 doesn't add a three-digit exit number, but converting from 150 to 50 eliminates one.

[dgolub]

This must be one of the few places (if not the only one) where switching to a milepost system eliminated three-digit exit numbers rather than adding them.

Arizona I-17 would be another candidate if they began it at 0.

Eh? I-17 is more than 100 miles long, so no.

Read the question. Converting it to a zero-based milepost system would "eliminate three-digit exit numbers rather than add them." Converting from 200 to 100 doesn't add a three-digit exit number, but converting from 150 to 50 eliminates one.

Actually, what I meant was eliminate them from the road altogether, not eliminate them from a specific exit.

[ctroads87]

Hello everyone! Longtime reader and road geek.. First post..

I've been noticing that CTDOT is painting its new signals yellow with retroreflective back plates.. Like at the intersection of Route 195 and 320 in Mansfield.https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8280874,-72.2672461,3a,75y,333.29h,86.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVBfuzXX_7Hwhe2PkUhrDgg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

I personally was a fan of the dark green painted signals.. I was thinking maybe they switched to yellow since they are more visible during power outages? When I drove around during our October 2011 storm, the older style yellow painted signals were more visible, while the dark green painted signals weren't as visible during a power outage.. They also recently replaced a bunch of road sign flasher lights in CT recently with yellow painted lights.. Is this the new standard for CT signals? What are your thoughts?

Same, and definitely a traffic light nerd myself.

I've noticed the newest lights being yellow too with chunky backplates. I believe the backplates are a new national standard, but the new assemblies are very bulky and I don't believe the lights can be attached any longer - they are all individually hung (if on a wire).

A very, very old traffic light was recently replaced with the new design at Route 6 and 84 in Farmington (Link shows old light):
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7179821,-72.7976334,3a,90y,198.67h,87.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNWiv_CGVi4Rkc9g9r_h0NQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The same occurred at Exit 44 off 95 in West Haven. However, new traffic lights not put up by the state (local roads in Manchester and Hartford) are black (or the darkest of greens). I'll miss the greens too, but just another evolution in CT traffic lights which seem to change very often and have little consistency compared to other states.

[DrSmith]

It's been about a year maybe now, but they built a new Super Walmart in East Windsor on Prospect Hill Road. As a result a new signal was added and a couple more were upgraded. The dark green signals were used, but with black backplates that have the orange tape. (Initially fluorescent green tape had been used on the edges, but that has since been changed). 

Personally I don't always find the outlining with fluorescent orange to make the signal more visible.  Switching towards brighter LED signals compared to previous incandescents are a bigger help to me.

[ctroads87]

It's been about a year maybe now, but they built a new Super Walmart in East Windsor on Prospect Hill Road. As a result a new signal was added and a couple more were upgraded. The dark green signals were used, but with black backplates that have the orange tape. (Initially fluorescent green tape had been used on the edges, but that has since been changed). 

Personally I don't always find the outlining with fluorescent orange to make the signal more visible.  Switching towards brighter LED signals compared to previous incandescents are a bigger help to me.

I drove through those lights in East Windsor and I thought they had fluorescent green tape at first - it's now reflective yellow.

New yellow traffic lights with backplates are now also installed at routes 4/69 in Burlington. Looks like yellow is the go forward choice for state roads. The greens had a good run - at least 12 years worth.

[Duke87]

Read the question. Converting it to a zero-based milepost system would "eliminate three-digit exit numbers rather than add them." Converting from 200 to 100 doesn't add a three-digit exit number, but converting from 150 to 50 eliminates one.

Actually, what I meant was eliminate them from the road altogether, not eliminate them from a specific exit.

And that was how I interpreted it. This means you need a three digit exit number on a road less than 100 miles long.

As for I-17, did it ever have sequential exit numbers? If so, did they not start at 1?

[mroad860]

Hello everyone! Longtime reader and road geek.. First post..

I've been noticing that CTDOT is painting its new signals yellow with retroreflective back plates.. Like at the intersection of Route 195 and 320 in Mansfield.https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8280874,-72.2672461,3a,75y,333.29h,86.11t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sVBfuzXX_7Hwhe2PkUhrDgg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

I personally was a fan of the dark green painted signals.. I was thinking maybe they switched to yellow since they are more visible during power outages? When I drove around during our October 2011 storm, the older style yellow painted signals were more visible, while the dark green painted signals weren't as visible during a power outage.. They also recently replaced a bunch of road sign flasher lights in CT recently with yellow painted lights.. Is this the new standard for CT signals? What are your thoughts?

Same, and definitely a traffic light nerd myself.

I've noticed the newest lights being yellow too with chunky backplates. I believe the backplates are a new national standard, but the new assemblies are very bulky and I don't believe the lights can be attached any longer - they are all individually hung (if on a wire).

A very, very old traffic light was recently replaced with the new design at Route 6 and 84 in Farmington (Link shows old light):
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.7179821,-72.7976334,3a,90y,198.67h,87.6t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNWiv_CGVi4Rkc9g9r_h0NQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

The same occurred at Exit 44 off 95 in West Haven. However, new traffic lights not put up by the state (local roads in Manchester and Hartford) are black (or the darkest of greens). I'll miss the greens too, but just another evolution in CT traffic lights which seem to change very often and have little consistency compared to other states.

Funny, a week ago I spotted the new yellow signals in Farmington also.. It looks like we're sorta stepping back into the 80s lol..

With the Route 5 East Windsor lights.. I was digging the original florescent green stripe on the backplates with the green mark IV signals.. Then suddenly they changed to yellow stripes.. I wonder why they changed that too! I wish they accepted the flourescent green backplate with dark green signals into the new standard..

And yes, several town owned yellow signals from the early 90's around Buckland Mall in Manchester have been replaced with black signals this year.

But West Hartford seems to be the only consistent one.. They have stuck with yellow on their town signals through the decades..

I have also spotted some unfinished signal projects with only the pedestrian signal pedestals installed this spring in Enfield, Wethersfield, Manchester, Bolton.. I've been waiting to see if they were going yellow.. Seems like that project has been long stalled

[ctroads87]

Funny, a week ago I spotted the new yellow signals in Farmington also.. It looks like we're sorta stepping back into the 80s lol..

With the Route 5 East Windsor lights.. I was digging the original florescent green stripe on the backplates with the green mark IV signals.. Then suddenly they changed to yellow stripes.. I wonder why they changed that too! I wish they accepted the flourescent green backplate with dark green signals into the new standard..

And yes, several town owned yellow signals from the early 90's around Buckland Mall in Manchester have been replaced with black signals this year.

But West Hartford seems to be the only consistent one.. They have stuck with yellow on their town signals through the decades..

I have also spotted some unfinished signal projects with only the pedestrian signal pedestals installed this spring in Enfield, Wethersfield, Manchester, Bolton.. I've been waiting to see if they were going yellow.. Seems like that project has been long stalled

The 4 way intersection of Buckland Rd and Evergreen Walk recently had pedestrian signals installed and added new lights for restricted left turns. The new lights are yellow while the rest of the green lights were left untouched. Looks a little sloppy, but as far as I know that's a town road.

The lights around Buckland in Manchester have slowly been changing. The crazy part is the switch is made entirely within 1 day - new ones up, old ones gone (Most recently at the Pavilions entrance across from Red Robin.) They've pulled the switcharoo on me a few times while I was at work for the day. I like the 90's nature of the remaining lights, especially the route 83/I-84 light (at VIP) where the left arrow displays while the red remains lit. It's the only remaining example I know of that does this in the state.