Traffic signal

[jdbx]

I've never heard of split-phasing for split-phasing's sake.

I see it all the time in Mexico... 

[/quote]

That drives me absolutely crazy when I encounter it in Mexico. It's incredibly inefficient, I always seem to see it along the major highways and the results are massive backups at these lights.  In fact, Mexico is where I have seen some of the most simplistic signal configuration I have ever seen...  lights running on timers so that a main highway has to stop for non-existent traffic on a side road, the split-phasing with no reasonable justification, and a lack of the concept of a protected left turn phase.

[kphoger]

That drives me absolutely crazy when I encounter it in Mexico. It's incredibly inefficient, I always seem to see it along the major highways and the results are massive backups at these lights.  In fact, Mexico is where I have seen some of the most simplistic signal configuration I have ever seen...  lights running on timers so that a main highway has to stop for non-existent traffic on a side road, the split-phasing with no reasonable justification, and a lack of the concept of a protected left turn phase.

Here's the one I immediately thought of.  It's now a grade-separated interchange, but it used to be a six-leg intersection with three-way split phasing on a timer.  Four-lane divided federal highway, cross-streets have hardly any traffic on them.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/m9MqEvLxN2q1omsN7

[PColumbus73]

Traffic signal down

This news came up in my area. Knock downs aren't anything unique, but I have a mild grievance with how the signals were programmed at this intersection.

Simply, the right turn from River Oaks Drive to Carolina Forest Blvd functions as a continuous right turn with a semi-permanent green arrow. I assume the only time it goes red is for the pedestrian signal. This also means that it allows conflicts (example below), not going red for the oncoming left turn, nor the green for the thru movement on Carolina Forest Blvd.

It would be a simple fix, either replace the right turn signal with a FYA, or add delineators or a concrete island for the length of the solid white line.
 
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7534107,-78.8677436,3a,75y,200.77h,79.56t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s7LIWLrPWkBxatzK3_awL2w!2e0!5s20230201T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D10.436029188767534%26panoid%3D7LIWLrPWkBxatzK3_awL2w%26yaw%3D200.76912264796806!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[Big John]

Or louvered backplates to reduce the wind loading?

[roadfro]

Traffic signal down

This news came up in my area. Knock downs aren't anything unique, but I have a mild grievance with how the signals were programmed at this intersection.

Simply, the right turn from River Oaks Drive to Carolina Forest Blvd functions as a continuous right turn with a semi-permanent green arrow. I assume the only time it goes red is for the pedestrian signal. This also means that it allows conflicts (example below), not going red for the oncoming left turn, nor the green for the thru movement on Carolina Forest Blvd.

It would be a simple fix, either replace the right turn signal with a FYA, or add delineators or a concrete island for the length of the solid white line.
 
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7534107,-78.8677436,3a,75y,200.77h,79.56t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s7LIWLrPWkBxatzK3_awL2w!2e0!5s20230201T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D10.436029188767534%26panoid%3D7LIWLrPWkBxatzK3_awL2w%26yaw%3D200.76912264796806!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

There does not appear to be a signaling conflict there, due to the right turn getting an added lane. Any conflicts come from drivers not maintaining their lane across the solid white.

[PColumbus73]

Between April 2023 and December 2024, the PV signals at this intersection were replaced with typical heads. There aren't many PV signals in the area.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6709937,-78.910452,3a,27.8y,256.94h,88.48t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sPhbJVCfJOrLFiHA2NOrZ2Q!2e0!5s20241201T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D1.521886771887523%26panoid%3DPhbJVCfJOrLFiHA2NOrZ2Q%26yaw%3D256.9366842240889!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOS4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[roadfro]

Between April 2023 and December 2024, the PV signals at this intersection were replaced with typical heads. There aren't many PV signals in the area.

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.6709937,-78.910452,3a,27.8y,256.94h,88.48t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sPhbJVCfJOrLFiHA2NOrZ2Q!2e0!5s20241201T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D1.521886771887523%26panoid%3DPhbJVCfJOrLFiHA2NOrZ2Q%26yaw%3D256.9366842240889!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDMxOS4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

No apparent need to use PV signals to begin with...

[PColumbus73]

Double-yellow in Oklahoma, thought it was a FYA at first. Was originally looking for an intersection with an older double-red.

[thenetwork]

I saw this photo from yesterday's storm damage in Michigan...a clean, consistent break!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BREMgouG6/

[plain]

Double-yellow in Oklahoma, thought it was a FYA at first. Was originally looking for an intersection with an older double-red.

Looks like all of the left turns signals at that intersection are the same way. That's wild AF

[jakeroot]

Double-yellow in Oklahoma, thought it was a FYA at first. Was originally looking for an intersection with an older double-red.

Looks like all of the left turns signals at that intersection are the same way. That's wild AF

Yeah, also can be seen here for the double left:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1wS1pWJztEBENvSV8

That is bizarre. I thought at first it was just a camera glitch, catching the moment a permissive phase switched to solid yellow. Nope. 

[freebrickproductions]

I almost wonder if they'd intended to install those signals as FYA heads, but decided to go with protected-only at the last minute?

[CoreySamson]

On a similar note, here is a signal in Angleton, TX which is marked as a FYA and has the hardware of a FYA but operates with only protected lefts:

TX LOOP 274 @ TX 288 BUS
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VgTYgDkycHgFeW4N9

The intersection is somewhat complex (I've mentioned how dumb it is before on this forum) and has always used protected lefts only. Several years ago the city replaced most of their signal setups with FYAs. When this one was replaced during that project, a signal with FYA hardware was put in, but the previous light timing that did not use permissive phases was left as it was, probably because of the geometry and complexity of the intersection. Sort of begs the question as to why signal heads with FYA hardware were put in if they're not going to be used as one. And yes, I know the sign on the mast arm about the FYA is entirely superfluous.

[plain]

I almost wonder if they'd intended to install those signals as FYA heads, but decided to go with protected-only at the last minute?

That was my first thought as well

[plain]

On a similar note, here is a signal in Angleton, TX which is marked as a FYA and has the hardware of a FYA but operates with only protected lefts:

TX LOOP 274 @ TX 288 BUS
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VgTYgDkycHgFeW4N9

The intersection is somewhat complex (I've mentioned how dumb it is before on this forum) and has always used protected lefts only. Several years ago the city replaced most of their signal setups with FYAs. When this one was replaced during that project, a signal with FYA hardware was put in, but the previous light timing that did not use permissive phases was left as it was, probably because of the geometry and complexity of the intersection. Sort of begs the question as to why signal heads with FYA hardware were put in if they're not going to be used as one. And yes, I know the sign on the mast arm about the FYA is entirely superfluous.

Does this signal operate in FYA mode at night?

[CoreySamson]

On a similar note, here is a signal in Angleton, TX which is marked as a FYA and has the hardware of a FYA but operates with only protected lefts:

TX LOOP 274 @ TX 288 BUS
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VgTYgDkycHgFeW4N9

The intersection is somewhat complex (I've mentioned how dumb it is before on this forum) and has always used protected lefts only. Several years ago the city replaced most of their signal setups with FYAs. When this one was replaced during that project, a signal with FYA hardware was put in, but the previous light timing that did not use permissive phases was left as it was, probably because of the geometry and complexity of the intersection. Sort of begs the question as to why signal heads with FYA hardware were put in if they're not going to be used as one. And yes, I know the sign on the mast arm about the FYA is entirely superfluous.

Does this signal operate in FYA mode at night?

Last time I drove it well after dark was before the FYA upgrade, so I am not sure, but I would guess that it doesn't. The light has a fixed timing throughout the entire day.

[SignBridge]

On a similar note, here is a signal in Angleton, TX which is marked as a FYA and has the hardware of a FYA but operates with only protected lefts:

TX LOOP 274 @ TX 288 BUS
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VgTYgDkycHgFeW4N9

The intersection is somewhat complex (I've mentioned how dumb it is before on this forum) and has always used protected lefts only. Several years ago the city replaced most of their signal setups with FYAs. When this one was replaced during that project, a signal with FYA hardware was put in, but the previous light timing that did not use permissive phases was left as it was, probably because of the geometry and complexity of the intersection. Sort of begs the question as to why signal heads with FYA hardware were put in if they're not going to be used as one. And yes, I know the sign on the mast arm about the FYA is entirely superfluous.

Does this signal operate in FYA mode at night?

Last time I drove it well after dark was before the FYA upgrade, so I am not sure, but I would guess that it doesn't. The light has a fixed timing throughout the entire day.

Is it an optical illusion in the photos or are some of those mast-arms far past the intersection?

[Big John]

Is it an optical illusion in the photos or are some of those mast-arms far past the intersection?

Location is based on not putting the post on an island where it is more susceptible to damage from traffic impacts.

[SignBridge]

Is it an optical illusion in the photos or are some of those mast-arms far past the intersection?

Location is based on not putting the post on an island where it is more susceptible to damage from traffic impacts.

Yeah I get that, but if you rotate the photo, you see the one in the opposite direction is way, way past the merge point from the right turn. Why would they do that, and why would they not have a supplemental head on the near right corner? That looks like quite a distance from the stop line to the signal......

[jeffandnicole]

Is it an optical illusion in the photos or are some of those mast-arms far past the intersection?

Location is based on not putting the post on an island where it is more susceptible to damage from traffic impacts.

Yeah I get that, but if you rotate the photo, you see the one in the opposite direction is way, way past the merge point from the right turn. Why would they do that, and why would they not have a supplemental head on the near right corner? That looks like quite a distance from the stop line to the signal......

A quick Google Maps measurement puts the signal about 135 feet away - about the same distance as a signal across a roadway with 10 lanes/shoulders.  They cheapened out using a longer mast, but it's not too far away compared to signals at wider intersections.

[Big John]

^^ For the cross street, there are closely spaced intersections adjacent to it, so the spacing may try to avoid confusion between them.

[chrisg69911]

Speaking of far away signals, here's this in Newark. Its for the traffic coming from under the trestle, but it has its own stop bar and is far enough away for any turning traffic to see it. So is it a far away signal or is it its own with the northbound traffic only having that one side signal under the trestle

[Big John]

^^ panning ahead, there is a 2-section signal facing the railroad track. I thought the railroad uses their own signaling equipment.

[chrisg69911]

^^ panning ahead, there is a 2-section signal facing the railroad track. I thought the railroad uses their own signaling equipment.

They also got it here too. But I'm pretty sure this spur is literally never used

[thenetwork]

They have a few 3-segment traffic signals for the trains on some of the freight railroad crossings in the Central Denver area as well.