Lane control signals replacing ball lights at toll plazas

[Pink Jazz]

Since the 1990s, many transportation departments have replaced the ball lights used to indicate open/closed status of toll plaza lanes with lane control signals (green down arrow/red X), and is now a requirement in the 2009 MUTCD.  The reason for now requiring lane control signals is due to ball lights being contrary to their traditional meanings at toll plazas.  For example, a red ball light at a toll plaza doesn't mean stop, it means the lane is closed.  Similarly, a green ball light at a toll plaza doesn't mean go (since you still must stop to pay the toll), it means the lane is open.

I was wondering, for those who live in areas where toll roads exist, are ball lights still being used to indicate open/closed status of toll plaza lanes?  I do believe that ball lights are still very common on toll plazas in the Northeast.  BTW, Puerto Rico was one of the first places that I have seen that made the switch to lane control signals for its toll plazas (around 1996).  Interestingly, the lane control signals at the toll plazas in Puerto Rico used neon tubing, rather than the more common incandescent or fiber optic signals before LED signals became available.  They have since been replaced by LED signals.

[Brandon]

ISTHA uses lane control arrows on the ramps plazas and the manual lanes.  The ORT lanes have no such signals of any kind.

[myosh_tino]

Ball lights are still in use at all of the San Francisco Bay Area's toll bridges.  In addition to the standard red and green lights, which indicate whether a lane is open or not, certain lanes have flashing yellow lights which indicate dedicated FasTrak (California's ETC system) lanes.

[briantroutman]

I'm trying to remember back to the last time I was on the PA Turpike a few months ago–I think they still use the full ball as far as I know. Actually, for about a decade, they've had three separate sets of traffic lights at each lane:

1. Standard R-Y-G light assembly mounted horizontally above a changeable message board indicating the lane's E-ZPass/ticket status (light flashes yellow for E-ZPass only)

2. R-G light cluster built into toll plaza canopy above each lane (this is red for lane closed, green for open, but somewhat confusingly, off for E-ZPass only)

3. Standard R-Y-G light assembly mounted vertically beside each toll booth (changes to green when a ticket is taken, a toll is paid, or E-ZPass is detected; yellow for low E-ZPass account balance)

If anyone can add info about recent changes, please do.

[PHLBOS]

The majority of toll roads/facilities I've been on (MA, NJ & PA Turnpikes, NYS Thruway , GSP, ACX, DRPA Bridges) this year still use light balls at their toll plazas.

[roadman]

Yes, MA Turnpike still uses ball signals.  However, as the Pike is scheduled to be totally converted to all electronic tolling by the end of 2016, changing the ball signals to lane use control signals doesn't make any sense.

[vdeane]

The majority of toll roads/facilities I've been on (MA, NJ & PA Turnpikes, NYS Thruway, GSP, ACX, DRPA Bridges) this year still use light balls at their toll plazas.

You sure?  The Thruway has used greed arrows and red Xs to indicate if a toll plaza is open or not for as long as I can remember (though E-ZPass only lanes use a flashing yellow ball).  Are you thinking of the traffic lights they use to indicate if a toll is paid (red at a cash lane, yellow at an E-ZPass only lane, green when paid)?  Personally, I don't understand why the FHWA doesn't like the latter, as in this case it DOES carry all the meaning a regular traffic light does (and some more, but that's what the display to the left is for).

[PHLBOS]

You sure?

Truth be told, the majority of my NY Thruway toll experience has been on the Tappan Zee Bridge.  They must have made the change after the two EZ-Pass Express lanes were built.  I've been using the latter since they opened.

What threw me off was that the signal heads (featuring the green arrow and red Xs) at the tollbooths are no larger than the old ball signals (which they did use at one time, many years ago - I've been driving from the Delaware Valley to New England on holidays for 24 years).

Nonetheless, I will correct my previous post.