With the advent of brighter LED lights in signals, I was curious if the regular bulb signals with strobe lighting on the red lens is becoming an endangered species?
And while we are on the topic of signals with strobes, what states use(d) them?
For those of you not familiar with "strobe signals", they are used usually in areas where fog can be a menace more times than not or areas where traffic lights may be few & far between like on 4-lane divided highways with limited surface intersections or high accident areas.
While the light is red, a pulsating strobe (about one time per second) flashes over or in the red lens to grab the attention of drivers. Conversely, when the light is green or yellow the strobe stops.
ISTR seeing them most often in the Carolinas, and occasionally in Ohio.
Alabama still has some. The major one is on US 280 Eastbound at the ramp to I-459 South. There are about 11 red lights at this intersection with three that strobe white.
I've seen quite a few of them in New York, particularly in the Finger Lakes.
I know of at least one in VA on US 360 about 2 miles southwest of VA 288, The strobe is actually the very right light even though I missed the flash (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi622.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ftt304%2F24DIDNOTWIN%2FUS360EASTATWOODLAKEVILLAGEPKWY.jpg&hash=3bb4e31d726d7deec3e8eda0df74fd936506da1e)
Virginia actually has a lot, at least around Hampton Roads. Isle of Wight County is full of them along rural US-17 and US-258, and Newport News has a handful on Jefferson Ave (VA-143) near Patrick Henry Mall. All of these were installed very recently, and most have a band across the red signal that flashes when the red light is lit, though a couple have a separate single red lens with a strobe between the two three-lens signals. Rather difficult to photograph though.
The one that comes right to mind in TN is US 31 and Mack Hatcher Blvd. (Truck US 31, US 431, TN 96) on the north side of the city. The strobe is only on Mack Hatcher because the road often is facing toward sunrise (eastbound) or sunset (westbound) and the lights can be hard to read at that time.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=franklin+tn&sll=36.597889,-60.556641&sspn=51.197893,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Franklin,+Williamson,+Tennessee&ll=35.94697,-86.851859&spn=0.00641,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=35.946932,-86.851708&panoid=rys800j4c0qSNKQUD2vXFg&cbp=12,284.26,,0,5.14 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=franklin+tn&sll=36.597889,-60.556641&sspn=51.197893,114.169922&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Franklin,+Williamson,+Tennessee&ll=35.94697,-86.851859&spn=0.00641,0.013937&z=17&layer=c&cbll=35.946932,-86.851708&panoid=rys800j4c0qSNKQUD2vXFg&cbp=12,284.26,,0,5.14)
Pennsylvania STILL uses them. I know of about 20 in my area. Here are some shots of some:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5292418793553677394 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5292418793553677394)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5302480174248382002 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5302480174248382002) (now replaced with new signals, but still w/ strobes)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5303097754167523810 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5303097754167523810) (can't tell in this shot)
And in other states:
-Rhode Island has some on warning lights on I-95:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/RhodeIslandTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5324326029477564690 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/RhodeIslandTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5324326029477564690)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/RhodeIslandTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5324328112599650882 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/RhodeIslandTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5324328112599650882)
-On NY 17 (future I-86) in Parksville, NY
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/NewYorkTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5361449576432591762 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/NewYorkTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5361449576432591762)
There were a couple signals in Indiana along US-30 which once had a separate strobe face, but when I drove the route between Merrillville and Fort Wayne, any strobes seemed to be gone.
IIRC US 19 in Summersville, Fayetteville and Oak Hill, WV had strobes when US 19 actually went thru the towns. I think the Mountaineer Expressway is limited acess now tho.
Regular red signal indications with strobes are indeed a dying breed. If they weren't disallowed in the current MUTCD, they definitely are being removed from the next version. Something I read some time ago seemed to indicate that strobes used to supplement the red signal weren't entirely effective and there was some concern about the distraction of the flash (seizures, etc.), which prompted FHWA to prohibit them.
It seems that a preferred practice now is to use a "prepare to stop when flashing" sign with amber warning beacons upstream of the signal. This is definitely SOP in Nevada. Nevada, to my knowledge, never used the strobes in the red indication.
I've seen strobe lights on S.R. 138/Jonesboro Road in Union City (GA), at access to the Wal*Mart; it's a fairly new signal.
Also, there's a strobe light on Norman Berry Drive in East Point (GA).
I'll try to get photos of these sometime soon.
Be well,
Bryant
The only place in Florida I've seen them used is for the emergency signals in front of a fire station. I guess since the light is so rarely red (usually flashing yellow), they want to draw extra attention to the red light when a fire truck is trying to leave.
Didn't FHWA end it's experimentation with them and decide not to make them part of the MUTCD?
I remember seeing strobe lights in two places, but I'm sure there's more.
One was at the intersection of NY 104 and NY 3 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=43.322953,-76.567905&spn=0.004589,0.014656&t=h&z=17) in Hannibal. This stoplight also has double red balls both westbound (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=43.323422,-76.567701&spn=0,359.985344&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=43.323529,-76.567723&panoid=WmoYkaMu0IfNjK8V-X8rhA&cbp=12,164.46,,0,-2.71) and eastbound (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=43.323281,-76.56768&spn=0,359.985344&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=43.323141,-76.567651&panoid=0q_JDTKdrXcnS2K6rVpn5A&cbp=12,346.13,,0,-5.26) (better view). The strobe is westbound, because the stoplight is the first one since Oswego, and is at the bottom of a hill in a 55 MPH zone.
Another one is on NY 5 west of Camillus (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=43.036219,-76.334585&spn=0.002321,0.007328&t=h&z=18), in both directions. Eastbound, it's the first stoplight since Elbridge. Westbound, it's the first stoplight after the Camillus Bypass. It's in a 55 MPH zone, but the Bypass is 65 MPH. NY 5 becomes like an expressway, with two lanes in each direction, plus turn lanes just west of the intersection.
There were a couple in Missouri. One was on US 67 at an intersection in Farmington - either Rte W or another one, but the signal has since been removed entirely. There was at least one more on US 61 in Hannibal.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on November 05, 2009, 10:07:21 PM
Virginia actually has a lot, at least around Hampton Roads. Isle of Wight County is full of them along rural US-17 and US-258, and Newport News has a handful on Jefferson Ave (VA-143) near Patrick Henry Mall. All of these were installed very recently, and most have a band across the red signal that flashes when the red light is lit, though a couple have a separate single red lens with a strobe between the two three-lens signals. Rather difficult to photograph though.
In Virginia, US 301 south of the Harry Nice Bridge from MD has a few. Once in a while you'll catch one flash just after the signal has gone green.
Quote from: realjd on November 06, 2009, 09:50:52 AM
The only place in Florida I've seen them used is for the emergency signals in front of a fire station. I guess since the light is so rarely red (usually flashing yellow), they want to draw extra attention to the red light when a fire truck is trying to leave.
Didn't FHWA end it's experimentation with them and decide not to make them part of the MUTCD?
To follow up on this question and expand my previous response...
I found Interpretation 4-263(I) (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/documents/pdf/4-263-I-FL-s.pdf) (PDF) on the MUTCD's official ruling database website, which was issued in 2003. It indicates that FHWA terminated all experimentation with strobes in red signal indications in 1990. Studies at that time, as well as a follow-up study in 1995, indicated that strobes had no consistent benefit of reducing accidents. Thus, strobes are not in accordance with the MUTCD and FHWA recommends their removal.
They have been slowly appearing around SWPA where the signal is separated from others or the first after a long stretch of signal-less roadway, such as: US 30 at Beatty County Road (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Latrobe,+PA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Latrobe,+Westmoreland,+Pennsylvania&ll=40.2853,-79.436839&spn=0.002038,0.004823&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.285675,-79.437125&panoid=ogTEfD9q-l_caNT3Wd5VYQ&cbp=12,109.74,,0,5) in Latrobe and US 22 at Resort Plaza (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Latrobe,+PA&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Latrobe,+Westmoreland,+Pennsylvania&ll=40.443861,-79.229085&spn=0.003895,0.009645&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.443882,-79.228975&panoid=wep-syHQyl2P1xGoYMWVFw&cbp=12,270.8,,0,5) in Blairsville.
Quote from: allniter89 on November 06, 2009, 12:23:15 AM
IIRC US 19 in Summersville, Fayetteville and Oak Hill, WV had strobes when US 19 actually went thru the towns.
Yep, you're correct.
The only strobe that comes to mind within my former daily commute in upstate New York was located at the intersection of NY 9G and NY 199 in the Town of Red Hook, NY. Dutchess County 82 (the old, old, old NY 199 to Barrytown, where the ferry used to cross the Hudson River) is closely adjacent to this interesection to the immediate south.
The strobe was installed around 15 years ago succeeding a stop sign at the eastern end of NY 199 and later a became a blinker. The area is densely forested along a very rural NY 9G, south of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY and east of the Universalist Church estate on hundreds of acres of all posted (no hunting) land, about two miles from the eastern shore of the Hudson River.
The road is straight and flat as you are traveling southbound on NY 9G. From the perspective of driving on NY 9G north and NY 199 east approaching the light there is a slight incline on a curve on an extremely wide-shouldered road with moderate rock-cuts. NY 199 westbound descends a long hill through a deeper rock-cut with the strobed traffic light at the bottom. The whole area is quite isolated when there is little commuter traffic on its way to or from the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge with lots of potential for deer crossings and an informal "speedway." It is an interesting eye-catcher.
Wisconsin never used such tactics as flashing strobes, during red lights or warning signs with flashing lights ahead of the intersection. What they do is reduce the speed limit about 10-20 mph prior to the traffic light.
NYSDOT is definitely very fond of them. There are several on the Saw Mill Parkway, a couple on the Bronx River Parkway, one of the (grand total of three) lights on US 9 in Putnam County has them...
...they even stuck one on the light at NY 100 (Central Avenue) and Sadore Lane in Yonkers (this light) (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.955919,-73.842158&spn=0,359.98071&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.95601,-73.841713&panoid=lK8Qcn_8LD6heviHwGFtyw&cbp=12,1.99,,0,-1.91). Not exactly a corridor known for infrequency of lights (or fog). The excuse here, so far as I can figure, is that it's at the north end of the Tuckahoe Road underpass, which is deceptively freeway-like.
There are quite a few in the Albany, NY area.
Here are some...
-At the very south end of the Adirondack Northway (shows the intersection, middle two signals have strobes):
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/NewYorkTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5305031680336875794 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/NewYorkTrafficSignalsAndRoadSigns#5305031680336875794)
-Exit 8 off of I-87 (doghouse signal to the left has the strobe):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=albany,+ny&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.572881,78.662109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Albany,+New+York&ll=42.816685,-73.764954&spn=0.015299,0.038409&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=42.819838,-73.766452&panoid=kEiTq8r3SHVGO005YUEbzg&cbp=12,182.35,,0,-5.06 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=albany,+ny&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.572881,78.662109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Albany,+New+York&ll=42.816685,-73.764954&spn=0.015299,0.038409&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=42.819838,-73.766452&panoid=kEiTq8r3SHVGO005YUEbzg&cbp=12,182.35,,0,-5.06)
There are a number more of them, but I can't seem to think of the rest at the top of my head at the moment.
ian
In Massachusetts, one can be found on at the traffic light on the "ramp" to go from the MassPike to I-291. (The light can be difficult to see as the sun sets.)
At one point, Alabama had resolved to put strobed traffic lights on expressways, after a particularly nasty accident involving a school bus...but I haven't spent enough time in AL since then to know how far along they got.
I've never seen many, but there have been a few. I grew up in Highland Park, IL and there was a strobe for northbound Skokie Highway (US-41) where the expressway used to end at Clavey Road. After that intersection was grade separated in the early 90s, the first traffic signal was then at Park Avenue. As I recall, the strobe was a ring around the outside of the red light, which was really eye-catching. I don't know if it's still there, but it could be.
The only other I can think of was at a rather obscure location near where my parents have since moved to. Just north of Southern Pines, NC at the intersection of Airport Road and NC-22 was an unusual intersection with only pole-mounted signals. The state's typical span-wire signals weren't used there due to (I assume) the close proximity to the Moore County Airport's runway. Also, both these roads being 55 mph rural highways with no other signals nearby, not to mention the tremendously old population there, I suppose the strobes helped. They were just slits across the middle of the lens, which seemed a bit strange to me, but whatever. This intersection was recently moved a significant distance away and changed to a roundabout, to get it away from the runway. You can still see the old arrangement on Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=southern+pines,+nc&sll=38.625454,-85.220947&sspn=6.264454,9.997559&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Southern+Pines,+Moore,+North+Carolina&ll=35.229592,-79.39829&spn=0.006398,0.009763&z=17&layer=c&cbll=35.229634,-79.398111&panoid=oBFEyLnltGGPHcWlpfk39w&cbp=12,261.55,,0,10.57) though.
The one I'm most familiar with is on US 23 near Wise, Va., for southbound traffic near the shopping area at the Business US 23 intersection.
A fairly new signal on Grelot Road in Mobile, Alabama uses a strobe in the red lens, so new installs are still occurring...
IIRC, there is another set along US 17 in I believe in Middlesex or Essex County.
You know, the new edition of the MUTCD is going to prohibit strobe lights.
Here is the one on US 280 that I talked about earlier
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs761.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx260%2Fjdbarnes1234%2F101_0644.jpg&hash=33d2dc65e081e9e31f6bc915f7e8c7278f1cb195)
^^ Forgot about that one.
Be well,
Bryant
11 red lights? That has to be a record!
There's two or three strobe reds that I've seen in WNY:
1) NY 77 (Chestunt Ridge RD) & Gasport RD
2) NY 78 (Transit RD) & Rapids RD / Fisk RD intersection.
Found another set on PA 145 just north of US 22 in Whitehall.
Quote from: jdb1234 on December 03, 2009, 11:01:07 PM
Here is the one on US 280 that I talked about earlier
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs761.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx260%2Fjdbarnes1234%2F101_0644.jpg&hash=33d2dc65e081e9e31f6bc915f7e8c7278f1cb195)
Whoa! That must be a pretty bad intersection!
^^ The speed limit on the road is 55 m.p.h. and the opposite direction, heading back toward Downtown Birmingham, is an expressway, with some interchanges, turning into a freeway leading to I-20/59.
Be well,
Bryant
US231 in Alabama has quite a few strobes, as does 431.
edited to add: i am talking specifically about the area around Dothan for 231/431. I think the strobes on 431 even make it to Phenix City.
Quote from: burgess87 on December 04, 2009, 12:40:49 PM
There's two or three strobe reds that I've seen in WNY:
1) NY 77 (Chestunt Ridge RD) & Gasport RD
2) NY 78 (Transit RD) & Rapids RD / Fisk RD intersection.
As of late the traffic signals at NY 78 (Transit Rd) and Rapids Rd/Fisk Rd have been replaced. The strobes were not put back on the new signals.
The very stupid signalized intersection, in the farthest south remnant of what would have been the Piedmont Expressway at West Chester* :(, there are the strobes in the red lights. I think this intersection is a remnant of when there was only the 322 piece, and it was only a super-2 "expressway" like the part north of town.
You can barely see it in the Street View. (http://maps.google.com/?ll=39.945575,-75.584537&spn=0.002389,0.005284&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=39.945698,-75.585437&panoid=Z1xxljIrB7Td0tVPZpGjvQ&cbp=12,33.23,,0,-5.9)
Also at at least one place on Rockhill Drive in Neshaminy, PA. You can't tell at all in Street View since it's so blurry and glarey.
*Or would it have fed into DE 141 or DE 1? Either way, it's the farthest south in PA.
Wow, quite the thread resurrection.
I'm aware of two intersections in Northern Virginia with strobes:
(1) Eastbound Edsall Road at Yoakum Parkway in the City of Alexandria. The light is located at the bottom of a hill around a curve.
(2) Eastbound Duke Street at Diagonal Road, also in the City of Alexandria. The light is located just after you crest a rise going over an overpass above the railroad tracks and the subway tunnel.
In both cases I wonder if the strobe is there because they're concerned that a driver might not see the light until the last second. In both cases the strobes are built into the red signals and are not separate installations like the one "jdb1234" posted above.
I recall there used to be a strobe somewhere on US-29 in Culpeper County, Virginia, and the light in question was the only traffic light for a really long stretch (especially when you were heading north) and so I assumed the strobe was there simply to help catch the eye of drivers who were zoning out. That particular strobe disappeared sometime in the 1990s.
The only strobes in the Harrisburg area that I can think of off the top of my head are at the intersection of the Carlisle Pike (US11) and the ramps to the PA 581 expressway.
The strobes on US 23 at the southern intersection with Business 23 in Wise, Va., have been replaced.
There's a string of them on IL 251 between South Beloit and Rockford. It's a stretch of 4-lane divided highway with frontage roads posted for 55mph, with about 1-2 miles between stoplights.
I haven't traveled enough in Illinois to note how frequently they're used elsewhere.
Quote from: JREwing78 on September 21, 2012, 11:39:09 PM
There's a string of them on IL 251 between South Beloit and Rockford. It's a stretch of 4-lane divided highway with frontage roads posted for 55mph, with about 1-2 miles between stoplights.
I haven't traveled enough in Illinois to note how frequently they're used elsewhere.
I think the Dixon District favored strobes the most; the only other ones I can remember in Illinois were along IL 1/US 150 in one of the towns between I-74 and US 36, but they were removed by mid 2000.
White Plains NY uses strobes in the red lens.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 21, 2012, 03:59:02 PM
Wow, quite the thread resurrection.
I'm aware of two intersections in Northern Virginia with strobes:
....
(2) Eastbound Duke Street at Diagonal Road, also in the City of Alexandria. The light is located just after you crest a rise going over an overpass above the railroad tracks and the subway tunnel.
....
I went through that intersection yesterday afternoon and shot some video while stopped at the red light (click on the picture to play):
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2FRoad%2520sign%2520pictures%2Fth_MiscellaneousSeptember2012075_zps58c2e6dc.jpg&hash=0050b6db60cb2d76c9970c8e66e66758cb908219) (http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c378/1995hoo/Road%20sign%20pictures/?action=view¤t=MiscellaneousSeptember2012075_zps58c2e6dc.mp4)
Hwy 82 has one coming into Northport from the west, mainly because it's pretty much the first traffic light for 20+ miles. But it's nowhere near as elaborate, or 5% as busy as 280 at 459 in Inverness.
http://goo.gl/maps/T8RmO
Quote from: PennDOTFan on November 05, 2009, 10:28:54 PM
Pennsylvania STILL uses them. I know of about 20 in my area. Here are some shots of some:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5292418793553677394 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5292418793553677394)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5302480174248382002 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5302480174248382002) (now replaced with new signals, but still w/ strobes)
http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5303097754167523810 (http://picasaweb.google.com/Iansignal/LocalRoadRelatedShots#5303097754167523810) (can't tell in this shot)
Ian, your links all point to the same page w/a whole bunch of photos. It's a bit tough to sort through.
The nearest example of a strobed red signal near me (& not too far from you) is at the Providence Road & Bishop Ave. intersection in Secane (Upper Darby Twp.). The strobed reds face southbound Bishop Ave. traffic. The lenses (along w/a big yellow dual-arrow sign) were installed several years ago after a couple of accidents involving vehicles literally plowing through somebody's driveway (& garage) at the opposite end of the T-intersection.
Quote from: jdb1234 on December 03, 2009, 11:01:07 PM
Here is the one on US 280 that I talked about earlier
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs761.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx260%2Fjdbarnes1234%2F101_0644.jpg&hash=33d2dc65e081e9e31f6bc915f7e8c7278f1cb195)
What, no gates/force fields/pop-up Severe Tire Damage tire treadles?
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 21, 2012, 03:59:02 PM
Wow, quite the thread resurrection.
And I'll make a point that this is a perfect way to revive a thread. As long as you add info on topic and it's not a "bump" type of post, reviving threads is perfectly fine in the Admin crew eyes. ;)
Quote from: rickmastfan67 on September 27, 2012, 12:08:35 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 21, 2012, 03:59:02 PM
Wow, quite the thread resurrection.
And I'll make a point that this is a perfect way to revive a thread. As long as you add info on topic and it's not a "bump" type of post, reviving threads is perfectly fine in the Admin crew eyes. ;)
Oh, I agree 100% and I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining. I was just surprised to see such an old thread revived, that's all. I guess it's a good sign that someone used the search feature.
US 380 through Denton, TX used to have a bunch of red strobes until they widened the highway to six lanes about 10 years ago.
I have seen some both in AL and GA that have an extra red signal (no green and yellow) between the two main signal heads that allows for three red lights with the added one having the strobe.
US 231 between the FL Border and Dothan and US 19 in some places south of Atlanta I have seen these.
so did the new MUTCD ban them once and for all?
I hate them.
I also hate white strobe lights on school buses.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 03, 2012, 03:23:20 PM
so did the new MUTCD ban them once and for all?
I hate them.
I also hate white strobe lights on school buses.
I hope so. I went to school on buses that never used strobes. I also hate the new strobes that garbage trucks use. They are fine when they are picking up trash, but when traveling, I think, they should turn them off!
garbage trucks have them now?
here in SoCal, they sometimes have yellow strobes, a la tow trucks. but at least they aren't on top where they can disturb you from many hundreds of feet away.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 03, 2012, 03:23:20 PM
so did the new MUTCD ban them once and for all?
I hate them.
Yes, it did.
QuoteSection 4D.06 Signal Indications — Design, Illumination, Color, and Shape
Standard:
03 Strobes shall not be used within or adjacent to any signal indication.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 03, 2012, 03:23:20 PM
I also hate white strobe lights on school buses.
These were pretty common on school buses in Md. and Va., but seem to be going away now.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 03, 2012, 03:43:15 PM
garbage trucks have them now?
here in SoCal, they sometimes have yellow strobes, a la tow trucks. but at least they aren't on top where they can disturb you from many hundreds of feet away.
For several years, U.S. Mail vehicles in the District of Columbia (only) had them, but not any longer.
Quote from: roadfro on October 05, 2012, 01:21:24 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 03, 2012, 03:23:20 PM
so did the new MUTCD ban them once and for all?
I hate them.
Yes, it did.
QuoteSection 4D.06 Signal Indications — Design, Illumination, Color, and Shape
Standard:
03 Strobes shall not be used within or adjacent to any signal indication.
What was the logic behind this?
I, for one, found them useful and would have implemented them more widely.
It may be related to police/fire services. In Alabama they have it where there are sensors on the strand of lights that detect police/fire/ambulance strobes and immediately throw a red light in the other 3 directions so the emergency vehicle can pass with a green light.
I presume that having a tow truck with similar lights on it could potentially confuse the sensor, but I also imagine that they're already somehow tuned to red/green/blue and not yellow
This is one case where I think the states definitely would have been justified in telling FHWA to go self-fornicate and to place the MUTCD in an orifice that is used under normal purposes for elimination of waste material.
(Unless you are in Tennessee, where that orifice is used for the purposes of intoxication.)
Mississippi had one, but it was so long ago that I have trouble remembering where it was exactly. I want to say it was somewhere near the I-10 and US 49 interchange, but it may have been near the I-10 / I-110 / MS 67 interchange. It is since gone, obviously.
There's another oddity that I haven't seen anywhere else, but it's located on US 90 where I-110 ends. The very next signal going east has a single red signal head that activates when the intersection gets a red light, and there's a white halo around the red ball that flashes on and off, about once per second. It appears to be an LED signal.
I tried finding some web page about it, but search results just returned this weird game named Halo which I've never heard of. :-) I'll try to grab a picture of it one random day.
I've seen a couple strobes in Arizona. The only one I can think of off my head is at the Tempe-Phoenix border. Going southbound on AZ 143, at the end of freeway just after going over I-10.
I know of two in the Mobile area, one posted after the MUTCD revision no less.
Both directions of US 98 at Mobile County 27 north / 68 south in Semmes have them:
(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast/alabama098/us-098_wb_at_cr-027_nb_068_sb.jpg)
Another one is at the intersection of Grelot Road at Somerby Drive, which I noticed two weekends ago. This signal is from 2010 or 2011...
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2012, 02:59:30 PM
Quote from: roadfro on October 05, 2012, 01:21:24 PM
QuoteSection 4D.06 Signal Indications — Design, Illumination, Color, and Shape
Standard:
03 Strobes shall not be used within or adjacent to any signal indication.
What was the logic behind this?
I, for one, found them useful and would have implemented them more widely.
I seem to recall reading that research regarding use of strobe lights with traffic signals typically did not result in reduced crash rates as expected (and possibly in some cases, increases were found). I'm not sure where I read this, and can't find a source at the moment.
I imagine if there were some documented benefits, the MUTCD would not have moved to specifically prohibit them...
Forgot about this one, but was reminded of it last night with its incessant flash...
(https://www.aaroads.com/southeast//alabama100/al-113_sb_at_us-029_031.jpg)
Alabama 113 south at the merge with U.S. 29-31 south at Flomaton.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2012, 09:34:22 PM
This is one case where I think the states definitely would have been justified in telling FHWA to go self-fornicate and to place the MUTCD in an orifice that is used under normal purposes for elimination of waste material.
(Unless you are in Tennessee, where that orifice is used for the purposes of intoxication.)
Strobes annoy the everloving shit out of me. I assume they've never caused a seizure, although if even one seizure were caused by one, that would be cause for the MUTCD to immediately ban them.
Quote from: Steve on October 08, 2012, 07:30:15 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2012, 09:34:22 PM
This is one case where I think the states definitely would have been justified in telling FHWA to go self-fornicate and to place the MUTCD in an orifice that is used under normal purposes for elimination of waste material.
(Unless you are in Tennessee, where that orifice is used for the purposes of intoxication.)
Strobes annoy the everloving shit out of me. I assume they've never caused a seizure, although if even one seizure were caused by one, that would be cause for the MUTCD to immediately ban them.
I mentioned it in another thread, but the MUTCD already bans strobe lights with traffic signals.
The one in Flomanton I noticed now has black signal heads. When I was there in 02, they were yellow.
I see AL is copying FL.
Quote from: roadfro on October 09, 2012, 04:24:48 AM
Quote from: Steve on October 08, 2012, 07:30:15 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2012, 09:34:22 PM
This is one case where I think the states definitely would have been justified in telling FHWA to go self-fornicate and to place the MUTCD in an orifice that is used under normal purposes for elimination of waste material.
(Unless you are in Tennessee, where that orifice is used for the purposes of intoxication.)
Strobes annoy the everloving shit out of me. I assume they've never caused a seizure, although if even one seizure were caused by one, that would be cause for the MUTCD to immediately ban them.
I mentioned it in another thread, but the MUTCD already bans strobe lights with traffic signals.
I know, but I'm countering a strobe-lover.
Encountered one yesterday, on southbound US 25W/eastbound US 70 at the southern terminus of US 25E. The intersection is located at the bottom of a hill and the strobe is especially useful for calling attention to the red light.
I got lucky and timed my photograph to capture the strobe on:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FYkvVnfx.jpg&hash=7bacd5f6bee0b16990efe4c06efa8e362de9e28a)
Take a look at the center light.
Most of the ones in Western New York have been taken out within the past few years (and I knew of at least 10 intersections in northern Erie County and Niagara County alone with them), but they remain on NY 198 and NY 952Q/Walden Avenue at the EB I-90 - EB NY 952Q ramp terminus. Rest were taken out as signals or lamps were replaced. One was on an expressway and at least one other was in a fog-prone area.
I've seen some signals with filament strobe tubes on US 72 near Stevenson, AL.
There are also some signals with LED strobe tubes on Redstone Arsenal.
US 231 between Montgomery and Florida has a tone of strobes on it as well.
I've never really understood why they were banned. Sure, they shouldn't be the standard anywhere, but I would think they'd be useful in situations where a traffic light would be unexpected (such as the former light on NY 17 in Parksville).
Quote from: vdeane on October 28, 2014, 01:10:43 PM
I've never really understood why they were banned. Sure, they shouldn't be the standard anywhere, but I would think they'd be useful in situations where a traffic light would be unexpected (such as the former light on NY 17 in Parksville).
I think of them as useful in places where congestion and/or road alignment can make red lights easy to blend into the background. I encountered one of these recently, but I don't recall the location–heavy traffic with many small intersections in an area of heavy visual clutter.
I'm guessing the argument against them is that there is a set of standards in place to ensure there's a clear approach with plenty of visibility and time to react to a red light. But if there is not money, space, or whatever else is needed to make this happen, maybe the strobe is a helpful stopgap.
At least at one time, there was a strobe on a red signal here on PA 309 next to the Montgomery Mall.
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.237057,-75.240485&spn=0.000008,0.005472&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.236793,-75.241305&panoid=HQg36wfuozJtSMXVLFUiYA&cbp=12,154.26,,0,1.22 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.237057,-75.240485&spn=0.000008,0.005472&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.236793,-75.241305&panoid=HQg36wfuozJtSMXVLFUiYA&cbp=12,154.26,,0,1.22)
I never understood why it was placed here since the signal was surrounded in relative close proximity by other signals in each direction, and this stretch of 309 is not immediately adjacent to a freeway segment or other area where one would not expect to encounter a signal.
Junction of MA 101 and 140 in Gardner MA. 140 is a 55 MPH road thru the intersection, and 101 isn't much slower, which I think is the reason for them.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on October 28, 2014, 02:02:57 PM
Quote from: vdeane on October 28, 2014, 01:10:43 PM
I've never really understood why they were banned. Sure, they shouldn't be the standard anywhere, but I would think they'd be useful in situations where a traffic light would be unexpected (such as the former light on NY 17 in Parksville).
I think of them as useful in places where congestion and/or road alignment can make red lights easy to blend into the background. I encountered one of these recently, but I don't recall the location–heavy traffic with many small intersections in an area of heavy visual clutter.
I'm guessing the argument against them is that there is a set of standards in place to ensure there's a clear approach with plenty of visibility and time to react to a red light. But if there is not money, space, or whatever else is needed to make this happen, maybe the strobe is a helpful stopgap.
My understanding of why strobes were used in the first place was to provide additional conspicuity to red lights in areas where red lights were disregarded or unexpected.
The strobes were eventually disallowed in part because research showed them to not be effective in decreasing red light running rates. (There's also the potential issue with strobes at certain frequencies that can cause epileptic shock, which is part of the reason beacon flash rates are specified in the MUTCD.) I think (don't quote me on this) in some areas, people may have also mistaken these flashes for red light camera flashes...
Agencies can use a combination of other treatments to enhance the conspicuity of red signals. Some ideas include reflective strips on signal backplates, upstream warning beacons/signs, additional near-side signals, etc.
I've seen the strobe used for fire signals too.
Some counties or state DOTs install a flood-light or standard bulb next to the IR opticom on the mast-arm that turns on when the light is overridden by an emergency vehicle.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F7%2F73%2FMillersville_opticom.jpg&hash=eb6ad6e3768d7168021a93c2ed14cd6dcb9881ff)
Perhaps you can replace that with a strobe?
Quote from: KEK Inc. on October 29, 2014, 04:20:28 AM
I've seen the strobe used for fire signals too.
Some counties or state DOTs install a flood-light or standard bulb next to the IR opticom on the mast-arm that turns on when the light is overridden by an emergency vehicle.
Is that what this is (on the same signal I posted earlier):
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.23643,-75.241028&spn=0.001048,0.700378&cbll=40.23643,-75.241028&layer=c&panoid=esB1QBT68Y9Ki7S6JJa9gA&cbp=12,151.05,,0,-24.03&t=m&z=11 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.23643,-75.241028&spn=0.001048,0.700378&cbll=40.23643,-75.241028&layer=c&panoid=esB1QBT68Y9Ki7S6JJa9gA&cbp=12,151.05,,0,-24.03&t=m&z=11)
The standard video detection is on the right of the mast arm, but I wasn't sure about what looks like the bulb mounted on the left side of the top of the arm.
I'm pretty sure this is the signal that used to have a strobe, but I thought it was in the red signal itself, like some of the other examples.
*Walden Avenue (NY952Q) eastbound at I-90 EB exit ramp - Cheektowaga, NY
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=42.908914,-78.698502&spn=0.098573,0.445976&cbll=42.908993,-78.764232&layer=c&panoid=rtn9KQnn3ka5glHBeWaDug&cbp=12,93.25,,0,5.77&t=m&z=12
Both EB primary and secondary signals have stobes
*Scajaquada Expwy (NY 198) at Parkside Ave - Buffalo, NY
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=42.930348,-78.855035&spn=0.006826,0.013937&cbll=42.930266,-78.854954&layer=c&panoid=ogEHb-YEJ6NUJUQE8Yiz1g&cbp=12,117.4,,0,7.14&t=m&z=17
Primary red EB & WB signals
*Walden Avenue (NY 952Q) and Pavement Road (Erie CR 139)
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=42.923553,-78.623024&spn=0.006827,0.013937&cbll=42.923578,-78.62285&layer=c&panoid=h1G0DQLPlcnYwlmIGALHtA&cbp=12,64.92,,0,3.74&t=m&z=17
All four primary red signals
Quote from: NYhwyfan on October 29, 2014, 06:46:08 PM
*Walden Avenue (NY 952Q) and Pavement Road (Erie CR 139)
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=42.923553,-78.623024&spn=0.006827,0.013937&cbll=42.923578,-78.62285&layer=c&panoid=h1G0DQLPlcnYwlmIGALHtA&cbp=12,64.92,,0,3.74&t=m&z=17
All four primary red signals
Gone for a couple of years. Strobes disabled before the CR 139 bridge replacement began in summer 2011, signals replaced between then and 2013. My parents live a couple miles from there and I'm over there several times a year.
First place I can recall seeing a strobe was at a traffic light on southbound US 23 at Wise, Va. (at a light that I always seem to get caught at). The strobe there was a horizontal line in the middle of the red ball. It was there for years before it disappeared a couple of years ago. (I may even have made reference to it earlier in this thread).
Unfortunately, Virginia uses "Signal Ahead" (W3-3) with flashers that are always on. I like Kentucky's system of flashers that activate before the light is going to turn red, with signage indicating "Prepare To Stop When Flashing."
Quote from: hbelkins on October 29, 2014, 10:11:04 PM
I like Kentucky's system of flashers that activate before the light is going to turn red, with signage indicating "Prepare To Stop When Flashing."
I first saw signs like that in Ohio. There are/were a LOT of them near Columbus. They start flashing a few seconds before yellow so people have a chance to stop.
I've always liked this one on Liberty Rd (MD 26): http://goo.gl/maps/VQ7pZ
There's a couple on Reisterstown Road (MD 140) too.
We have some of them in NJ, such as:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.888188,-75.103676&spn=0.000016,0.010943&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.887645,-75.105912&panoid=e_fTIwqiCMV90tqtROUCCA&cbp=12,174.72,,0,8.22 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.888188,-75.103676&spn=0.000016,0.010943&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=39.887645,-75.105912&panoid=e_fTIwqiCMV90tqtROUCCA&cbp=12,174.72,,0,8.22)
and
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.0152,-74.185138&spn=0.000016,0.010943&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.0152,-74.1873&panoid=0X3FUMeu6Iw6z06mcFhLzQ&cbp=12,106.54,,0,2.83 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.0152,-74.185138&spn=0.000016,0.010943&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.0152,-74.1873&panoid=0X3FUMeu6Iw6z06mcFhLzQ&cbp=12,106.54,,0,2.83)
I think there were some VMS type warning signs for signals on Skyline Blvd. (CA 35) driving south out of San Francisco when I was there about 10 years ago. I think these are them, but of course they're dark for the GSV photo:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.69158,-122.493569&spn=0.000003,0.001368&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=37.691581,-122.493823&panoid=UQQ9k2XLGDIFqWdq3WE4LA&cbp=12,144.45,,0,0.71 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.69158,-122.493569&spn=0.000003,0.001368&t=h&z=20&layer=c&cbll=37.691581,-122.493823&panoid=UQQ9k2XLGDIFqWdq3WE4LA&cbp=12,144.45,,0,0.71)
The first I remember seeing was on NY 104 WB somewhere between Mexico and Sodus at the bottom of a hill. The other one that comes to mind is NY 365 WB at the Thruway interchange (NY 365 is a divided highway that looks like and drives like a rural interstate).
I remember from the days of my youth a strobe in the red light (seemed to shoot across the lens) on EB and WB Kellogg (54/96 then, 54/400 now) in Andover, Kansas, just east of Wichita. At the time, it was the only light on Kellogg between Greenwich Road in Wichita and Lulu Street in Augusta, a stretch of 12.1 miles. It made sense, since traffic was moving continuously for such a long period (4 miles on one side, 8.1 on the other), and Andover Road is the "main drag" to the suburb. It was cable-span.
Alas, it disappeared a number of years ago when the lights were upgraded to masts, and the intersection was repaved and reconfigured. By then, the area built up tremendously, with a large grocery store and numerous eateries. However, traffic was no longer flying for 12 miles with little to stop at: a light was added at Zelta (.5 mi east of Greenwich), 143rd (2 mi east of Greenwich), 159th/County Line (3 mi east of Greenwich), Yorktown (4.5 miles east of Greenwich), and Santa Fe Lake Road (3.1 miles west of Lulu). with speed reductions a mile on each side of Andover Rd.
I don't know if there were any others in the Wichita area.
ICTRds
I also know of one on NY 7 eastbound in Schenectady at Albany St. - just past I-890 and just before the intersection with NY 5 :)
I haven't been through this intersection in quite a while, but the lights at the Saw Mill River Parkway and Readers Digest Road in Chappaqua NY had them (and might still).
I know it is not a traffic light, but there is a construction arrow in use for a lane closure on Route 5 North in West Springfield prior to the Route 20 rotary that has a brief strobe flash of white prior to the longer yellow indication of the arrow. It's an LED light, so each entire light is lit with the white strobe prior quickly going to yellow. Something different and somewhat of a strobe effect that I haven't seen used anywhere else.
Quote from: kj3400 on October 30, 2014, 07:35:02 AM
I've always liked this one on Liberty Rd (MD 26): http://goo.gl/maps/VQ7pZ
There's a couple on Reisterstown Road (MD 140) too.
There is at least one on Md. 3 (Crain Highway) northbound in Anne Arundel County approaching Md. 175 here (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Gambrills,+MD&ll=39.055184,-76.657147&spn=0.02686,0.04622&cid=6707105158424226972&hnear=Gambrills,+Anne+Arundel+County,+Maryland&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.055107,-76.657236&panoid=mhtBaprDm5ZGYjqs-syITg&cbp=12,44.33,,0,6.08).
Prior to that sign on Md. 3 is a more-conventional yellow set of yellow beacons (IMO much less desirable) with a SIGNAL AHEAD sign overhead approaching the signal at St. Stephens Church Road here (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Gambrills,+MD&ll=39.041286,-76.671309&spn=0.026999,0.04622&cid=6707105158424226972&hnear=Gambrills,+Anne+Arundel+County,+Maryland&t=m&z=15&layer=c&cbll=39.041229,-76.671394&panoid=C5G3M26wYl-eCFDPjxm3ig&cbp=12,41.63,,0,8.49).
Quote from: thenetwork on November 05, 2009, 09:40:05 PM
With the advent of brighter LED lights in signals, I was curious if the regular bulb signals with strobe lighting on the red lens is becoming an endangered species?
And while we are on the topic of signals with strobes, what states use(d) them?
For those of you not familiar with "strobe signals", they are used usually in areas where fog can be a menace more times than not or areas where traffic lights may be few & far between like on 4-lane divided highways with limited surface intersections or high accident areas.
While the light is red, a pulsating strobe (about one time per second) flashes over or in the red lens to grab the attention of drivers. Conversely, when the light is green or yellow the strobe stops.
ISTR seeing them most often in the Carolinas, and occasionally in Ohio.
I do not think they are dying, one signal in my town at the fire house just got one. We have a bunch in MA. My favorite is in Springfield because the strobe goes around the red light and it pulses!
iPhone
Quote from: Amtrakprod on October 22, 2018, 03:19:21 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on November 05, 2009, 09:40:05 PM
With the advent of brighter LED lights in signals, I was curious if the regular bulb signals with strobe lighting on the red lens is becoming an endangered species?
And while we are on the topic of signals with strobes, what states use(d) them?
For those of you not familiar with "strobe signals", they are used usually in areas where fog can be a menace more times than not or areas where traffic lights may be few & far between like on 4-lane divided highways with limited surface intersections or high accident areas.
While the light is red, a pulsating strobe (about one time per second) flashes over or in the red lens to grab the attention of drivers. Conversely, when the light is green or yellow the strobe stops.
ISTR seeing them most often in the Carolinas, and occasionally in Ohio.
I do not think they are dying, one signal in my town at the fire house just got one. We have a bunch in MA. My favorite is in Springfield because the strobe goes around the red light and it pulses!
iPhone
I have seen them in Tennessee like that, but it's been a few years since I've been there. It's likely they're gone now.
Quote from: renegade on October 22, 2018, 09:22:44 PM
Quote from: Amtrakprod on October 22, 2018, 03:19:21 PM
Quote from: thenetwork on November 05, 2009, 09:40:05 PM
With the advent of brighter LED lights in signals, I was curious if the regular bulb signals with strobe lighting on the red lens is becoming an endangered species?
And while we are on the topic of signals with strobes, what states use(d) them?
For those of you not familiar with "strobe signals", they are used usually in areas where fog can be a menace more times than not or areas where traffic lights may be few & far between like on 4-lane divided highways with limited surface intersections or high accident areas.
While the light is red, a pulsating strobe (about one time per second) flashes over or in the red lens to grab the attention of drivers. Conversely, when the light is green or yellow the strobe stops.
ISTR seeing them most often in the Carolinas, and occasionally in Ohio.
I do not think they are dying, one signal in my town at the fire house just got one. We have a bunch in MA. My favorite is in Springfield because the strobe goes around the red light and it pulses!
iPhone
I have seen them in Tennessee like that, but it’s been a few years since I’ve been there. It’s likely they’re gone now.
Tennessee and Alabama still have a few, IIRC, along with the more "traditional"-style LED strobes.
Quote from: SidS1045 on November 16, 2014, 05:02:03 PM
I haven't been through this intersection in quite a while, but the lights at the Saw Mill River Parkway and Readers Digest Road in Chappaqua NY had them (and might still).
As of September, 2017 - the last time I was on the Saw Mill, the strobes were still there.