U-Turn Signals

[Signal]

There are 7 intersections with u-turn signals on Coastal Highway in Ocean City... all of them have the double doghouses. There is also a nearby intersection in Berlin with double 3-sections.

I have closeup/in-action shots of 4 of the intersections. The rest I have pictures of that I took from the car.
I'll post them with more info later

[6a]

Today I was in the Fairfield & Hamilton OH area on the SR 4 bypass. It's been ages since I'd been that way, I didn't know Ohio was using u-turn signals yet there they were, at Symmes Rd and Hamilton Mason Rd (I think).

I'd also never noticed before that was signed SR 4B, so hurray for my perception skills.

[Alex4897]

US 50 and MD 589 near Ocean Pines:

[roadman65]

John Young Parkway SB at Millenia Boulevard in Orlando, FL has one.

Some of the Michigan Lefts on US 31 from Holland to Grand Haven use them instead of just installing a left turn signal at the intersection proper.  I guess because the Michigan lefts handle two left turn movements it is still more practical to use this type of added signal.

[Revive 755]

Found one in Chicagoland on EB US 12 at Honey Lake Road (Lake Zurich)
Streetview

(Edited to fix typo)

[kj3400]

Found in in Chicagoland on EB US 12 at Honey Lake Road (Lake Zurich)
Streetview

It's interesting how the secondary signal is on the other side of the opposing roadway, instead of on the nearside mast.

[Brandon]

Found in in Chicagoland on EB US 12 at Honey Lake Road (Lake Zurich)
Streetview

It's interesting how the secondary signal is on the other side of the opposing roadway, instead of on the nearside mast.

Common setup in Illinois.

[roadfro]

Found in in Chicagoland on EB US 12 at Honey Lake Road (Lake Zurich)
Streetview

It's interesting how the secondary signal is on the other side of the opposing roadway, instead of on the nearside mast.

I'm more surprised that the secondary signal is on a mast arm, for that scenario. A side mount would have been fine...but maybe the mast was necessary for the opposing through's secondary signal, and the u-turn secondary was added as a bonus?

[Brandon]

Found in in Chicagoland on EB US 12 at Honey Lake Road (Lake Zurich)
Streetview

It's interesting how the secondary signal is on the other side of the opposing roadway, instead of on the nearside mast.

I'm more surprised that the secondary signal is on a mast arm, for that scenario. A side mount would have been fine...but maybe the mast was necessary for the opposing through's secondary signal, and the u-turn secondary was added as a bonus?

Nope.  It's the other way around.  This is a common setup in Illinois for left turn signals (both protected only and five light towers) in Chicagoland.

Examples:

IL-59 & Caton Farm, Joliet
IL-59 & Theodore, Joliet
IL-53 & Normantown, Romeoville
IL-53 & Boughton, Bolingbrook

IDOT specifies a minimum of three signals for the through movement and two signals per turning movement.  For example, if a protected left is used, there will be five signals minimum for that direction of traffic - two for the left turn and three for the through/right turn.  If a permitted left (tower - never doghouse) is used, there will be a minimum of three signals for that direction of traffic - two towers and one three light signal.

[roadfro]

IDOT specifies a minimum of three signals for the through movement and two signals per turning movement.  For example, if a protected left is used, there will be five signals minimum for that direction of traffic - two for the left turn and three for the through/right turn.  If a permitted left (tower - never doghouse) is used, there will be a minimum of three signals for that direction of traffic - two towers and one three light signal.

I'm just surprised that these are all on mast arms overhead...admittedly, my surprise may just come from the majority of experience in Nevada, where supplemental signals are not mounted in this way.

IDOT can meet these minimum requirements using side mount signals for the supplemental faces. Mast arms add expense to signal installation.

[Amtrakprod]

So I was coming back from a trip to Mayfair today, and couldn't believe my eyes. As part of the Mayfair Rd reconstruction (WIS 100), WisDOT has installed a U-Turn signal.    With how long it took Wisconsin to legalize U-turns at signalized intersections, I thought we'd be one of the last to install such a feature. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a photo, nor are any Google images recent enough to show this installation. IIRC, this was the intersection with the U-turn signal installation: http://goo.gl/maps/aepbp. Surprisingly, this new tool is nowhere to be found on the WisDOT website.

Anyone noticed any other new U-Turn signal installations (since its inclusion in the 2009 MUTCD)?

I found the one mentioned:


iPhone

[US 89]

There are three ThrU-Turn intersections in Utah, and they all have U-turn arrows at each of the three U-turn points:

State St and 12300 South, Draper
5400 South and 4015 West, Kearns
Hill Field Rd and Main St, Layton

The U-turn arrow is also used on roads with extensive medians, such as US 89 in eastern Davis County.

[Amtrakprod]

I've only seen 2 U turn signals, all on RTE 9:



iPhone

[1995hoo]

There are two U-turn signals near where I live, both posted subsequent to my last post in this thread. One is at the corner of WB/SB Telegraph Road and Van Dorn Street in Fairfax County and the other is close by at EB/NB Telegraph and South Kings Highway. Both look like what jakeroot posted in reply #48, complete with "U-turn Only"  sign, except the signals have backplates per VDOT standard practice.

[froggie]

^ Did they finally widen Telegraph between Van Dorn and Kings?  Only reason I can think of how/why they'd put a U-turn signal there.

[jakeroot]

There are three ThrU-Turn intersections in Utah, and they all have U-turn arrows at each of the three U-turn points:

I'm sure I've said this before, but although I find signal placement in Utah (except at ramp meters) to be rather unimpressive, they get an A for creativity. Continuous Flow intersections, early DDI adopters, ThrU-turns, 65 mph urban limits...I'm sure I could list more.

There are two U-turn signals near where I live, both posted subsequent to my last post in this thread. One is at the corner of WB/SB Telegraph Road and Van Dorn Street in Fairfax County and the other is close by at EB/NB Telegraph and South Kings Highway. Both look like what jakeroot posted in reply #48, complete with "U-turn Only"  sign, except the signals have backplates per VDOT standard practice.

The one in reply 48 was actually replaced by this (which I've posted in other threads before), which uses a black cover like some other arrow signals, but uses an odd arrow shape. Compare to photo #2:




There's also this 4-section FYA u-turn signal. Was unusual when it was put in three years ago, but is no longer that odd:

[US 89]

I'm sure I've said this before, but although I find signal placement in Utah (except at ramp meters) to be rather unimpressive, they get an A for creativity. Continuous Flow intersections, early DDI adopters, ThrU-turns, 65 mph urban limits...I'm sure I could list more.

Try 70 mph on urban interstates. All the way from Payson to Brigham City, I-15 maintains a 70 mph limit.

I'm not sure how much this counts for creativity, but there are also almost 40 SPUIs in operation in the state today.

[jakeroot]

I'm sure I've said this before, but although I find signal placement in Utah (except at ramp meters) to be rather unimpressive, they get an A for creativity. Continuous Flow intersections, early DDI adopters, ThrU-turns, 65 mph urban limits...I'm sure I could list more.

Try 70 mph on urban interstates. All the way from Payson to Brigham City, I-15 maintains a 70 mph limit.

I'm not sure how much this counts for creativity, but there are also almost 40 SPUIs in operation in the state today.

I could file both under "I could list more"! Only a handful of SPUIs in WA. One just opened near Marysville (big deal for us). Not interesting to you at this point, I'm sure.

Did not know 70 was used in urban areas of UT. Has that changed in the last few years? When I was there in 2014, I swear the limits were 65.

[Amtrakprod]

I wish that more places used SPUIs, they seem so easy and smart!

[jakeroot]

I wish that more places used SPUIs, they seem so easy and smart!

I agree, they are a nice design, especially the ones that permit re-entry (I-17 in Phoenix has a bunch). My primary qualm is that they rarely support permissive left turns. Most people probably don't care about this aspect of them, but I simply hate the idea of "green for ghosts". Since SPUI's run in three-phase modes, they can also be harder to time as part of a corridor.

[US 89]

I'm sure I've said this before, but although I find signal placement in Utah (except at ramp meters) to be rather unimpressive, they get an A for creativity. Continuous Flow intersections, early DDI adopters, ThrU-turns, 65 mph urban limits...I'm sure I could list more.

Try 70 mph on urban interstates. All the way from Payson to Brigham City, I-15 maintains a 70 mph limit.

I'm not sure how much this counts for creativity, but there are also almost 40 SPUIs in operation in the state today.

I could file both under "I could list more"! Only a handful of SPUIs in WA. One just opened near Marysville (big deal for us). Not interesting to you at this point, I'm sure.

Did not know 70 was used in urban areas of UT. Has that changed in the last few years? When I was there in 2014, I swear the limits were 65.

The 70 mph urban limits were first put up in December 2014. Actually, the only urban interstates in Utah that still have a 65 limit are I-80 and I-215 near the Parley's Canyon interchange, mostly because that interchange is outdated and has several tight curves.

The somewhat-frustrating part is that there's a legislative cap of 65 mph on anything that isn't an interstate. This means SR-201, which is essentially up to interstate standards on the freeway portion, will stay at 65mph because it doesn't have a pretty shield. From my experience, US 6/191 near Price, US 40/189 north of Heber, and SR-7 would also greatly benefit from a 70 mph limit.

[jakeroot]

The 70 mph urban limits were first put up in December 2014. Actually, the only urban interstates in Utah that still have a 65 limit are I-80 and I-215 near the Parley's Canyon interchange, mostly because that interchange is outdated and has several tight curves.

The somewhat-frustrating part is that there's a legislative cap of 65 mph on anything that isn't an interstate. This means SR-201, which is essentially up to interstate standards on the freeway portion, will stay at 65mph because it doesn't have a pretty shield. From my experience, US 6/191 near Price, US 40/189 north of Heber, and SR-7 would also greatly benefit from a 70 mph limit.

Ahh, I was there in March 2014. Guess that explains it!

That is a rather strange rule. Doesn't seem to take into account the idea of building non-interstates to interstate standard. In WA, interstates are not posted below 60 unless part of a variable speed system, and typically neither are state route freeways. Pretty much everything is posted at 60, and everything rural is 70 (75 eventually).

[1995hoo]

^ Did they finally widen Telegraph between Van Dorn and Kings?  Only reason I can think of how/why they'd put a U-turn signal there.

Yes, a couple of years ago, though I've lost track of when it was because I go through there so often. I believe the U-turn lanes exist primarily to provide access to and from Sheridonna Lane, as there's no other real reason for them. I've never driven down that street because it doesn't go anywhere and, as far as I know, it's not fully paved, so I don't know how much traffic it actually gets.

Here's a Street View link to the U-turn light at Van Dorn. Hopefully it won't be pointed at the sky; if it is, pan down. For some reason the Google Maps iPad app has been returning Street View links pointed at the sky.

https://goo.gl/maps/f2FCJn7berL2

[jakeroot]

Here's a Street View link to the U-turn light at Van Dorn. Hopefully it won't be pointed at the sky; if it is, pan down. For some reason the Google Maps iPad app has been returning Street View links pointed at the sky.

It was pointed at the ground for me. I try to never link to GMaps from mobile devices. It always creates links that look either straight up or straight down.

[michravera]

Here's another one in Cupertino, CA on eastbound Stevens Creek Blvd at Torre Avenue.

https://www.google.com/maps?ll=37.322982,-122.027552&spn=0.000455,0.000453&t=h&z=21&layer=c&cbll=37.322918,-122.027591&panoid=Q6-P6wyC5K8VlspGR7NK3A&cbp=12,88.25,,2,1.83

I like how that is reinforced. Not just by the "U-Turn Only" sign, but the signal itself. Do the yellow and green phases look like that, too?

Yep.  This signal was installed a few years ago well before the 2009 MUTCD came out.

We have had these in California for quite a while, usually at a place where the only permitted turn (sometimes only permitted actions) was a U-turn. If I remember right, it goes red ball, green U-turn arrow, yellow U-turn arrow. But, I haven't seen one of these in a year or two, so my recollection may be fuzzy (or I may not have hung around for the yellow).