Red left turn signals -- red ball or red arrow?

[swbrotha100]

Just noticing photos of left turn signals all over the place. Do you have a preference for a red arrow as opposed to a red ball? I'm only asking about protected left signals, where you can only turn left on a green arrow.

[agentsteel53]

I prefer a red arrow.  a combination of red ball and green ball being shown at the same time is not as intuitive to parse when one is approaching the intersection.

[Takumi]

Red arrow.

[signalman]

Definitely red arrow.

[FreewayDan]

One single red arrow; no double red arrows.

[blawp]

Yeah double red arrows are pretty silly.

[DaBigE]

+1 for the red arrow.

[Central Avenue]

I prefer the red arrow, though living in Ohio I've become very accustomed to the red ball.

[CL]

Red arrow. Can't see in any way how a solid red light would be advantageous for a left turn signal.

[bulkyorled]

Arrow. It looks ridiculous when some cities/states put a ball and then a LEFT TURN LIGHT sign right next to it. Just do the damn arrow...

[kphoger]

Red arrow.  The only advantage I see to a red ball is increased visibility.

[realjd]

Red arrows are mandatory now with the latest MUTCD. Red balls on protected left turns will be slowly disappearing from here on out.

[roadfro]

Another vote for the red arrow.

The MUTCD phased them out in the latest version, in part because arrow indications have been in use for upwards of 30 years and pretty much everybody knows what they mean. Additionally, the 2009 MUTCD took steps to remove any circular indications from appearing over turn lanes--part of the FYA philosophy.

[roadman65]

Florida mixes it up.  Some places you see a red ball and some you see an arrow.

I remember when New Jersey and Pennsylvania used that funky glass over the left turn signal heads so that only a motorist in the left turn lane could see it.  Now, you do not see them much. 

There was even a time when PA always had the red ball lit no matter what the orientation was.  I saw this back in 85 in Altoona and other places, and it would be lit even with the green arrow.  So when it was clear to turn left, you had both a red ball and green arrow working at the same time.

[kphoger]

So when it was clear to turn left, you had both a red ball and green arrow working at the same time.

Sounds like a normal stoplight to me......

[Ian]

So when it was clear to turn left, you had both a red ball and green arrow working at the same time.

Sounds like a normal stoplight to me......

I think he's trying to get at this:

[swbrotha100]

So when it was clear to turn left, you had both a red ball and green arrow working at the same time.

Sounds like a normal stoplight to me......

I think he's trying to get at this:

Is that type of signal still common? I remember that in some places out east. I don't think I've ever seen that out west.

[bulkyorled]

Same, Ive never seen anything like the 2nd pic before. Not with the red ball and the green arrow at the same time.

[MASTERNC]

Same, Ive never seen anything like the 2nd pic before. Not with the red ball and the green arrow at the same time.

This was common in PA but has been phased out as signals are replaced.

[connroadgeek]

Red ball/green arrow is how it is done in CT. Sometimes the red ball isn't lit for the green and yellow arrow, but most of the time it is. Red arrows are pretty rare.

[The High Plains Traveler]

So when it was clear to turn left, you had both a red ball and green arrow working at the same time.

I think he's trying to get at this:

So, the red light over the left turn lane is always lit? That would make me come to a stop to be sure some other direction of traffic isn't coming at me. The only thing worse that I've seen was near Winnipeg where the through traffic had a solid red light simultaneously with a straight-ahead green arrow underneath - a backward way to indicate protected only left turn.

[connroadgeek]

I think he's trying to get at this:

So, the red light over the left turn lane is always lit? That would make me come to a stop to be sure some other direction of traffic isn't coming at me. The only thing worse that I've seen was near Winnipeg where the through traffic had a solid red light simultaneously with a straight-ahead green arrow underneath - a backward way to indicate protected only left turn.

Wouldn't you think that you have to stop EXCEPT if you're taking a left turn? That's how I would interpret it, but maybe that's just because I'm used to seeing that.

[The High Plains Traveler]

I think he's trying to get at this:

So, the red light over the left turn lane is always lit? That would make me come to a stop to be sure some other direction of traffic isn't coming at me. The only thing worse that I've seen was near Winnipeg where the through traffic had a solid red light simultaneously with a straight-ahead green arrow underneath - a backward way to indicate protected only left turn.

Wouldn't you think that you have to stop EXCEPT if you're taking a left turn? That's how I would interpret it, but maybe that's just because I'm used to seeing that.

The signal head marked "LEFT TURN SIGNAL" is giving what I interpret as conflicting direction. My first thought would be "malfunctioning signal". When turning left I know I can disregard the other two heads over the through traffic lanes, but I would expect the red over the left turn lane to be off. I've been driving through protected-only left turn signals my entire adult life, and I've observed the evolution from a louvered red ball at the left turn lane to the red arrow; but in all cases I"ve seen, when you are free to turn left the red goes off. This may be a New England oddity, but certainly not MUTCD-compliant.

[Roadsguy]

There USED to be one of those on US 422 eastbound at PA 501. (There probably was/is westbound, but I never get to see since it's always been red when I've been westbound.) It has since been replaced by an LED one that doesn't do that anymore (it was an incandescent). I thought it was malfunctioning up until reading this thread, since I haven't seen it anywhere else (in person or picture aside from that) to this day.

[Duke87]

If a signal is specifically for a turn, the arrow only makes sense. Connecticut, unfortunately, thinks otherwise. Finding a red arrow anywhere in the state is next to impossible (though a few do exist).