Should there be red and yellow flashing lights during non-peak hour times?

[tolbs17]

Yesterday, I seen a couple vehicles run a red light at an intersection where there was no cars. I was wondering like around midnight if we can make some intersections have flashing yellow and red lights (like from a shopping center or school) without having to stop unnecessary. Do y'all agree with me? I'm just throwing suggestions to prevent unnecessary tickets from happening.

Flashing yellow means proceed with caution

Flashing red means to stop and proceed when it's safe to do so.

During peak hour times, traffic lights can resume their normal operations.

Green means go

Yellow means slow down

Red means stop

I think this can improve travel times...

[hotdogPi]

There would actually be three categories:

1. Active all the time.
2. Active except in the middle of the night.
3. Active during peak periods only.

I fully support this; I even mentioned it in the "single ideas" thread a few days ago.

[webny99]

Many of the signals in Rochester, NY, used to be flashing yellow/red at night (from at least midnight to 6AM, and possibly longer than that). The major road would be flashing yellow, while the minor road would be flashing red. I'm not sure if that's still the case, as I haven't been down to the city in the late night/early morning in a few years.

[tolbs17]

There would actually be three categories:

1. Active all the time.
2. Active except in the middle of the night.
3. Active during peak periods only.

I fully support this; I even mentioned it in the "single ideas" thread a few days ago.

Yes yes yes. See Pendleton at jh rose high school.

[andrepoiy]

I support it, however, I believe the city of Winnipeg stopped doing this recently because there were complaints about the lack of pedestrian signals when lights are in flash-mode. (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/amber-lights-discontinued-winnipeg-1.5747017)

However, I think that the one or two pedestrians that might exist during the overnight hours does not justify the time and fuel costs (from unnecessarily idling at a stop light) from vehicles.

[GaryV]

This happens many places in metro Detroit.

Story - we were gathering at the high school to go to a robotics competition.  One of the kids noted the traffic light on the corner was in blink mode.  "Now we know we're here too early, the traffic light isn't even working yet."

[SkyPesos]

Mason, OH have most of their signals from an arterial to purely residential or office/retail areas on flashing mode during the night. The time that it changes to flashing mode varies; I've seen some change as early as 8 pm, and some as late as 11 pm. Of course signals between two major roads (like Tylersville Rd's intersection with US 42, Mason-Montgomery, and I-71) stay in normal operation.

[jakeroot]

Actuated signals have largely negated the need for off-hours flashing yellow. "Green for ghosts" should be a thing of the past at this point.

I could see them being useful in downtown (timed) areas, but there are two reasons that I can still see for not doing it:

(1) timed lights could be actuated at night, assuming the technology existed to permit that;
(2) about three-quarters of pedestrian deaths are at night, and removing the ability to request a walk sign at night would be removing a safety barrier.

[ethanhopkin14]

Wait, are there places that don't send their traffic lights to flashing yellow in the middle of the night?  This used to be the norm here in Texas, and it was always interesting driving to work before 6:00 AM before all the lights "woke up".  It's seen less now, and I think only because of lazy light programming now. 

[Ketchup99]

I think flashing red and yellow is mostly fine. One thought might be, at intersections where both roads are major, to have flashing yellow and flashing red alternate. (That is, instead of having one green and the other red and then switching, one is "go" and one is "stop/yield".) This would get rid of the long sitting at lights in the middle of the night when there's no traffic.

[hotdogPi]

(2) about three-quarters of pedestrian deaths are at night, and removing the ability to request a walk sign at night would be removing a safety barrier.

What prevents you from pushing the button when it's in flashing yellow mode?

[jakeroot]

(2) about three-quarters of pedestrian deaths are at night, and removing the ability to request a walk sign at night would be removing a safety barrier.

What prevents you from pushing the button when it's in flashing yellow mode?

The flashing modes that I've seen disable the pedestrian functions. I'm not aware of any that allow pedestrians to "wake up" the signal.

[sprjus4]

^

A pedestrian should be able to activate the signal to safely cross a busy road, IMO, if it's on a flashing mode.

[tolbs17]

All off ramp interchanges can definitely do with some.

Two busy major intersections crossing such as Greenville Blvd, 10th St, and Evans St will still need a green/yellow/red system.

[jakeroot]

^

A pedestrian should be able to activate the signal to safely cross a busy road, IMO, if it's on a flashing mode.

Possibly. But it may ruin driver expectation to meet a red light in the middle of a stretch of flashing yellows.

I still think the best alternative is to go full-actuation at night (I'm the singular "no" vote, for the record); timed corridors are really the only place that we need flashing modes at night, and those could have actuation technology installed to permit near-immediate signal changes during off-peak and non-timed hours.

[hotdogPi]

This location is currently just a flashing red/yellow. However, during the PM rush hour, there's a long line of cars trying to turn left from the side street. However, if a signal is installed during rush hour, it should be only for rush hour. It would be flashing yellow/red at e.g. noon and at 8 PM. (I don't know if this intersection has a morning issue or not.)

Note that 3 PM is included in this intersection's rush hour due to the location of the schools.

Assuming the MA 110/Ashford St. signal 1000 feet to the east is removed (it doesn't meet traffic volumes; I've already emailed MassDOT, and they said they'll consider it but it's low priority), how would you prevent cars from backing up at the flashing red during PM rush hour?

[doorknob60]

I don't see a major benefit to doing this since actuated signals are widespread now. Someone pulling up to a light from a minor street causing the light to change for them isn't going to waste more than 10 seconds of anybody's time. Might as well not bother.

[tolbs17]

But seriously. This existing traffic light is useless and needs to go.

[SkyPesos]

But seriously. This existing traffic light is useless and needs to go.

From what looks like a school football field there, the traffic signal would be useful for game days.

[tolbs17]

But seriously. This existing traffic light is useless and needs to go.

From what looks like a school football field there, the traffic signal would be useful for game days.

How about for the summer?

[CoreySamson]

But seriously. This existing traffic light is useless and needs to go.

From what looks like a school football field there, the traffic signal would be useful for game days.

How about for the summer?

So during the summer we take down the traffic signal and put it back up in the fall? If that really bothers you that much, revert it to a flashing yellow/red, like what everyone else in the thread is talking about.

[tolbs17]

But seriously. This existing traffic light is useless and needs to go.

From what looks like a school football field there, the traffic signal would be useful for game days.

How about for the summer?

So during the summer we take down the traffic signal and put it back up in the fall? If that really bothers you that much, revert it to a flashing yellow/red, like what everyone else in the thread is talking about.

Yeah. That's what I'm referring to

[sprjus4]

^

A pedestrian should be able to activate the signal to safely cross a busy road, IMO, if it's on a flashing mode.

Possibly. But it may ruin driver expectation to meet a red light in the middle of a stretch of flashing yellows.

Turn it to green for a few seconds, then yellow, then red. "Ruining driver expectation to meet a red light in a stretch of flashing yellows"  is no different then meeting a signal in general.

[tolbs17]

Line/Bancroft ave and Farmville Blvd (which is renamed W 10th St), has went under a flash mode.

Lynndale Shopping Center/Martinsborough Rd and Evans St did the same.

Some people ask why that is.

[tolbs17]

This is almost like this thread i started.

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28872.0