Eternal Green Lights

[jay8g]

Eastbound Cheyenne Avenue on the west side of Las Vegas has a number of consecutive three-way intersections, due to the "Great Wall of Summerlin" to the south blocking any through traffic. As a result, at each intersection, the rightmost eastbound lane is separated off as a bypass lane that always gets a green light. So if you're passing through the area and not turning, you never have to stop.

Here's an example where the Google car was actually using the bypass lane. (If you're not in the bypass lane, you can't see the green signal because it's a McCain PV signal that has everything but the bypass lanes masked off.)

So... there's just no way for pedestrians to cross through that entire 2.5-mile stretch without running across 6 lanes of traffic? I get that there aren't really any destinations on the south side of the street, but that still seems like a bad idea. And it's pointless since there are already traffic signals that could easily incorporate an actuated pedestrian phase.

[Scott5114]

Eastbound Cheyenne Avenue on the west side of Las Vegas has a number of consecutive three-way intersections, due to the "Great Wall of Summerlin" to the south blocking any through traffic. As a result, at each intersection, the rightmost eastbound lane is separated off as a bypass lane that always gets a green light. So if you're passing through the area and not turning, you never have to stop.

Here's an example where the Google car was actually using the bypass lane. (If you're not in the bypass lane, you can't see the green signal because it's a McCain PV signal that has everything but the bypass lanes masked off.)

So... there's just no way for pedestrians to cross through that entire 2.5-mile stretch without running across 6 lanes of traffic? I get that there aren't really any destinations on the south side of the street, but that still seems like a bad idea. And it's pointless since there are already traffic signals that could easily incorporate an actuated pedestrian phase.

Not only is there nothing on the south side of Cheyenne (not "not really any destinations" but "zero destinations"), but I'm guessing they don't really want people on the south side of the street at all. The only thing there is a drainage canal, which they want to keep people out of. What exactly would be the argument for making it easier to cross? So people could admire the masonry of Summerlin's wall?

I'm not sure why they even bothered building a sidewalk on the south side of Cheyenne at all, to be honest.

(As an aside, I've spent a decent amount of time in this area and it's sort of weird to me how little of it is zoned non-residential. There's basically nothing to do in the area unless you live there.)

[Scott5114]

Another example is not too far away, on Lake Mead Blvd at the Best In The West shopping center just east of Rainbow Blvd. This is a three lane roadway with two of the through lanes being bypasses for the continuous green. But unique here is a pedestrian crossing across Lake Mead—so it's possible that the separated through lane signals are not "eternal greens" since they may actually turn red for peds to cross (although I've never seen that happen).

The sign for Lake Mead Blvd. at that intersection is sort of strange because it looks like its face once said "Lake Mead Blvd" but the "Blvd" part was cut off to fit a smaller sign frame. Possibly reused from elsewhere?

That shopping center was in the news recently because the day before your post, someone hacked their video sign to display a rainbow flag and the words "Gay furry pride, bitch". Never a dull moment in Vegas.

[JustDrive]

NB Oxnard Blvd at Robert Ave, Glenwood Dr, and Citrus Grove Lane in Oxnard, CA have eternal green lights

EB Ventura Blvd at the SB 101 on-ramp in Woodland Hills, CA also has an eternal green.

Before CA 71 was upgraded to a freeway, it had a couple of them (SB at 2nd Street in Pomona, NB at Old Pomona Rd)

[roadfro]

Eastbound Cheyenne Avenue on the west side of Las Vegas has a number of consecutive three-way intersections, due to the "Great Wall of Summerlin" to the south blocking any through traffic. As a result, at each intersection, the rightmost eastbound lane is separated off as a bypass lane that always gets a green light. So if you're passing through the area and not turning, you never have to stop.

Here's an example where the Google car was actually using the bypass lane. (If you're not in the bypass lane, you can't see the green signal because it's a McCain PV signal that has everything but the bypass lanes masked off.)

So... there's just no way for pedestrians to cross through that entire 2.5-mile stretch without running across 6 lanes of traffic? I get that there aren't really any destinations on the south side of the street, but that still seems like a bad idea. And it's pointless since there are already traffic signals that could easily incorporate an actuated pedestrian phase.

Not only is there nothing on the south side of Cheyenne (not "not really any destinations" but "zero destinations"), but I'm guessing they don't really want people on the south side of the street at all. The only thing there is a drainage canal, which they want to keep people out of. What exactly would be the argument for making it easier to cross? So people could admire the masonry of Summerlin's wall?

I'm not sure why they even bothered building a sidewalk on the south side of Cheyenne at all, to be honest.

(As an aside, I've spent a decent amount of time in this area and it's sort of weird to me how little of it is zoned non-residential. There's basically nothing to do in the area unless you live there.)

I checked into local bus service out of curiosity. RTC route 218 services this stretch of Cheyenne up to Hualapai, but it's westbound only from Rampart/Durango to Hualapai as part of the turnaround loop (that's about a 1.5-2 miles for the turnaround loop). So not even a need to cross the street for transit.

Literally no reason for the sidewalk to exist on the south side.

[roadfro]

Another example is not too far away, on Lake Mead Blvd at the Best In The West shopping center just east of Rainbow Blvd. This is a three lane roadway with two of the through lanes being bypasses for the continuous green. But unique here is a pedestrian crossing across Lake Mead—so it's possible that the separated through lane signals are not "eternal greens" since they may actually turn red for peds to cross (although I've never seen that happen).

The sign for Lake Mead Blvd. at that intersection is sort of strange because it looks like its face once said "Lake Mead Blvd" but the "Blvd" part was cut off to fit a smaller sign frame. Possibly reused from elsewhere?

That shopping center was in the news recently because the day before your post, someone hacked their video sign to display a rainbow flag and the words "Gay furry pride, bitch". Never a dull moment in Vegas.

I caught that on the VegasIssues Instagram. Hilarious!

[Tilly Maples]

Two owned by Nassau County, New York:

Glen Cove
Lynbrook

[Tendies]

I know of at least two: First one is CA-91 at Valley View in Buena Park. This was the first time I have ever seen an up arrow as a kid and was infatuated with it since it was on my route to school. Has since been replaced but the green up arrow was kept as a single bulb indicator, but there is still a 3 section signal head.. Google street view selected shows both mast arms in a rare lucky capture mid-replacement.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AqkyDR25wrx4QbAd7

Second one in Peoria, Ariz. at the intersection of AZ-101 and Grand Av (US-60). Same configuration as above (half diamond), with the exception that the traffic signal phasing gives the left arrow every time the exit ramp traffic is green, unlike the first one, which appears to be independent (?)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7ovZjmjRLj11MKxX9

Here's a thought, I know that in the USA you have to treat any dark signals as an all-way stop. Does this apply to an 'eternal' green light that has burned out or lost power? If so it might be an argument to use a sign over a lamp.

I would assume so, at least according to letter of the law, if a traditional three segment light was used for a permanent green, as included in my examples above. Neither of which have crosswalks that would permit a rare, but possible, red cycle. Only time I could ever see such lights not being green is during the very rare chance where the light suddenly recovers power and defaults to all red upon startup, if it even happens. Or if a fault somehow happens that puts it into flash mode.

[mrsman]

I know of at least two: First one is CA-91 at Valley View in Buena Park. This was the first time I have ever seen an up arrow as a kid and was infatuated with it since it was on my route to school. Has since been replaced but the green up arrow was kept as a single bulb indicator, but there is still a 3 section signal head.. Google street view selected shows both mast arms in a rare lucky capture mid-replacement.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AqkyDR25wrx4QbAd7

Second one in Peoria, Ariz. at the intersection of AZ-101 and Grand Av (US-60). Same configuration as above (half diamond), with the exception that the traffic signal phasing gives the left arrow every time the exit ramp traffic is green, unlike the first one, which appears to be independent (?)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7ovZjmjRLj11MKxX9

Here's a thought, I know that in the USA you have to treat any dark signals as an all-way stop. Does this apply to an 'eternal' green light that has burned out or lost power? If so it might be an argument to use a sign over a lamp.

I would assume so, at least according to letter of the law, if a traditional three segment light was used for a permanent green, as included in my examples above. Neither of which have crosswalks that would permit a rare, but possible, red cycle. Only time I could ever see such lights not being green is during the very rare chance where the light suddenly recovers power and defaults to all red upon startup, if it even happens. Or if a fault somehow happens that puts it into flash mode.

I really wonder about such a situation.  If there is an eternal green, and it comes as part of a RYG housing, I don't see a good reason that the R or Y lights should ever light up, or even be connected to power.  I would assume in that case, it powers up to green, even after a power outage.

If no power is showing and you have a RYG housing, there should be treated as an all-way stop.  It would be too confusing for the average driver to be aware that this signal is always (not most of the time, but always) green.  It also promotes consistency.

Now there are some areas where traffic signals go on flash mode regularly at late night hours.  And I believe there is an example earlier in this thread where an eternal green becomes a flashing yellow during the flash mode.  There is no new impedance created in the wee hours, but the yellow flash is done for consistency, since likely opposing traffic sees a flashing yellow and the left turn arrow is a flashing red arrow.  But that is rare.

The whole point of an eternal green, is that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that interferes with the movment.  No cross traffic.  No right turns.  No left turns.  No pedestrians.  The movement is protected by geometry and sees an eternal green as a result.

Of course, the single signal head with the green straight arrow is the most obvious scenario, but there is no reason that you cannot have an eternal green with a RYG signal head.

[Quillz]

Ventura Boulevard at US-101 (Exit 27, specifically) has a seagull intersection and thus the single green arrow never changes. I figure at some point it's probably been replaced since the light would have to burn out eventually, but I've never witnessed that.

[mrsman]

Ventura Boulevard at US-101 (Exit 27, specifically) has a seagull intersection and thus the single green arrow never changes. I figure at some point it's probably been replaced since the light would have to burn out eventually, but I've never witnessed that.

This interchange is an ingenious set up.  Three lanes of eastbound Ventura Blvd, but the left lane forces an entry onto the freeway, leaving room for a continuous flow from the freeway off-ramp to the right lane of Ventura (but watch for pedestrians).

There are two signal faces for the straight green arrow.  One on the mast arm and one at the near side of the intersection with the off-ramp, along the right side.  It is likely very rare for BOTH of those signals to be out due to a burned bulb.  (And burned bulbs are likely less and less common overall as traffic signals utilize LED lights).  A power outage affecting the entire signal could be more likely, but I doubt that anyone would stop there if power were out.

[Quillz]

Ventura Boulevard at US-101 (Exit 27, specifically) has a seagull intersection and thus the single green arrow never changes. I figure at some point it's probably been replaced since the light would have to burn out eventually, but I've never witnessed that.

This interchange is an ingenious set up.  Three lanes of eastbound Ventura Blvd, but the left lane forces an entry onto the freeway, leaving room for a continuous flow from the freeway off-ramp to the right lane of Ventura (but watch for pedestrians).

There are two signal faces for the straight green arrow.  One on the mast arm and one at the near side of the intersection with the off-ramp, along the right side.  It is likely very rare for BOTH of those signals to be out due to a burned bulb.  (And burned bulbs are likely less and less common overall as traffic signals utilize LED lights).  A power outage affecting the entire signal could be more likely, but I doubt that anyone would stop there if power were out.

It's the polar opposite of the Fallbrook Avenue exit just before, which has an off-ramp that leads onto a residential street, which leads to the titular avenue. Both controlled by stop signs, which means that off-ramp is backed up all the way back to Valley Circle, so getting on the 101 there already throws you into a line of cars that you have to weave across.

I've been thinking for years how to fix that off-ramp. Perhaps two signal lights with green arrows? It was very obviously built many decades ago, and the population has grown so much since.

[Tendies]

I know of at least two: First one is CA-91 at Valley View in Buena Park. This was the first time I have ever seen an up arrow as a kid and was infatuated with it since it was on my route to school. Has since been replaced but the green up arrow was kept as a single bulb indicator, but there is still a 3 section signal head.. Google street view selected shows both mast arms in a rare lucky capture mid-replacement.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AqkyDR25wrx4QbAd7

Second one in Peoria, Ariz. at the intersection of AZ-101 and Grand Av (US-60). Same configuration as above (half diamond), with the exception that the traffic signal phasing gives the left arrow every time the exit ramp traffic is green, unlike the first one, which appears to be independent (?)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/7ovZjmjRLj11MKxX9

Here's a thought, I know that in the USA you have to treat any dark signals as an all-way stop. Does this apply to an 'eternal' green light that has burned out or lost power? If so it might be an argument to use a sign over a lamp.

I would assume so, at least according to letter of the law, if a traditional three segment light was used for a permanent green, as included in my examples above. Neither of which have crosswalks that would permit a rare, but possible, red cycle. Only time I could ever see such lights not being green is during the very rare chance where the light suddenly recovers power and defaults to all red upon startup, if it even happens. Or if a fault somehow happens that puts it into flash mode.

I really wonder about such a situation.  If there is an eternal green, and it comes as part of a RYG housing, I don't see a good reason that the R or Y lights should ever light up, or even be connected to power.  I would assume in that case, it powers up to green, even after a power outage.

If no power is showing and you have a RYG housing, there should be treated as an all-way stop.  It would be too confusing for the average driver to be aware that this signal is always (not most of the time, but always) green.  It also promotes consistency.

Now there are some areas where traffic signals go on flash mode regularly at late night hours.  And I believe there is an example earlier in this thread where an eternal green becomes a flashing yellow during the flash mode.  There is no new impedance created in the wee hours, but the yellow flash is done for consistency, since likely opposing traffic sees a flashing yellow and the left turn arrow is a flashing red arrow.  But that is rare.

The whole point of an eternal green, is that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that interferes with the movment.  No cross traffic.  No right turns.  No left turns.  No pedestrians.  The movement is protected by geometry and sees an eternal green as a result.

Of course, the single signal head with the green straight arrow is the most obvious scenario, but there is no reason that you cannot have an eternal green with a RYG signal head.

My guess would be they already had RYG signal heads in stock and didnt feel like custom ordering single green up arrows.

At least in the former case (Buena Park, CF), the permanent green seems intentional, given the continued striping and use of the green up arrow, both in the previous RYG housing, and the newer standalone single bulb. In the second case (Peoria, AZ), it almost looks as if the permanent green is entirely accidental, given the lack of striping and painted stop bar that have survived both a resurfacing and widening. Despite there being no plans to change the intersection such to necessitate turning that direction red

I do suppose that light could theoretically go solid red, in the event that power is interrupted and resumes the intersection as all red for a few seconds, though I've never seen a broken light resolve itself.

On the topic of redundant signal indications, there is an intersection near me that never intentionally operates the green left arrow, however at random intervals itll malfunctions and deliver a green arrow every cycle for a few weeks. Not sure why. And a few more intersection that uses a four bulb FYA signal head, but the FYA is permanently disabled. I only know it works because I've seen one malfunction and give FYA once. I've also seen permanent reds facing streets that havent been built. I understand placing signal heads and leaving them dark until the street gets built (if ever), however I'm not sure why they would waste energy and bulbs powering a permanent red that never gets used. Would also be interesting to see a permanent red go green in the event of a malfunction.

[mrsman]

Ventura Boulevard at US-101 (Exit 27, specifically) has a seagull intersection and thus the single green arrow never changes. I figure at some point it's probably been replaced since the light would have to burn out eventually, but I've never witnessed that.

This interchange is an ingenious set up.  Three lanes of eastbound Ventura Blvd, but the left lane forces an entry onto the freeway, leaving room for a continuous flow from the freeway off-ramp to the right lane of Ventura (but watch for pedestrians).

There are two signal faces for the straight green arrow.  One on the mast arm and one at the near side of the intersection with the off-ramp, along the right side.  It is likely very rare for BOTH of those signals to be out due to a burned bulb.  (And burned bulbs are likely less and less common overall as traffic signals utilize LED lights).  A power outage affecting the entire signal could be more likely, but I doubt that anyone would stop there if power were out.

It's the polar opposite of the Fallbrook Avenue exit just before, which has an off-ramp that leads onto a residential street, which leads to the titular avenue. Both controlled by stop signs, which means that off-ramp is backed up all the way back to Valley Circle, so getting on the 101 there already throws you into a line of cars that you have to weave across.

I've been thinking for years how to fix that off-ramp. Perhaps two signal lights with green arrows? It was very obviously built many decades ago, and the population has grown so much since.

The Fallbrook exit is really tight.  Sadly, I think the only practical improvement would be removing the off-ramp. 

It reminds me a lot of the old exit off I-405 at Waterford near the VA hospital in West LA.  At one point in time, there was an exit and an entrance there for SB I-405 (and a NB exit at Montana).  All of these ramps were removed because they were tight ramps that led directly into residential areas.  Traffic was directed to use Wilshire or Sunset instead.

[The_Ginger]

These eternal signals are located in Parkersburg, W. Va.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FQGkoHnUKwZ9nS7w6

[PColumbus73]

These eternal signals are located in Parkersburg, W. Va.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FQGkoHnUKwZ9nS7w6

I'm fascinated by West Virginia's bypass lanes with the double-red doghouses.

[The_Ginger]

These eternal signals are located in Parkersburg, W. Va.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FQGkoHnUKwZ9nS7w6

I'm fascinated by West Virginia's bypass lanes with the double-red doghouses.

What do you mean by this? I don't quite understand.

[PColumbus73]

These eternal signals are located in Parkersburg, W. Va.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FQGkoHnUKwZ9nS7w6

I'm fascinated by West Virginia's bypass lanes with the double-red doghouses.

What do you mean by this? I don't quite understand.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.356241,-81.646694,3a,26.2y,148.02h,95.09t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIrRN884widg7oTNxGBA35A!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-5.085879473214632%26panoid%3DIrRN884widg7oTNxGBA35A%26yaw%3D148.02474051551755!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[Dirt Roads]

I'm fascinated by West Virginia's bypass lanes with the double-red doghouses.

What do you mean by this? I don't quite understand.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.356241,-81.646694,3a,26.2y,148.02h,95.09t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sIrRN884widg7oTNxGBA35A!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-5.085879473214632%26panoid%3DIrRN884widg7oTNxGBA35A%26yaw%3D148.02474051551755!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxNS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

This harkens to the old days when Kanawha Boulevard [eastbound] on the West Side had a bunch of traffic signals, each with eternal greens on the right lane with the left turn lane separated with Botts' Dots.  Back then, there were 7 such intersections along the way:  Bream Street, Florida Street, Fitzgerald Street, Park Avenue, Delaware Avenue, Ohio Avenue and Tennessee Avenue.  The Florida Avenue intersection is the only one that remains, and it doesn't have an eternal green anymore.  If I recall correctly, some of the left turn signals had been upgraded with a double red (but those were in the days before doghouses).

[1995hoo]

As of 2017, there was at least one such signal remaining at the corner of Kanawha and Greenbrier near the State Capitol. I had never been to Charleston before and we made a left from Greenbrier onto southbound Kanawha and as I completed my turn someone came FLYING through in the other lane going extremely fast (easily 60 mph or more). Startled the shit out of me because I wasn't aware of the configuration and the guy appeared out of nowhere very quickly. At least there were plastic bollards between the lanes (exactly what some comments up the thread have suggested are necessary in these situations). Google Maps shows they removed that configuration sometime between 2019 and 2022.

[PColumbus73]

As of 2017, there was at least one such signal remaining at the corner of Kanawha and Greenbrier near the State Capitol. I had never been to Charleston before and we made a left from Greenbrier onto southbound Kanawha and as I completed my turn someone came FLYING through in the other lane going extremely fast (easily 60 mph or more). Startled the shit out of me because I wasn't aware of the configuration and the guy appeared out of nowhere very quickly. At least there were plastic bollards between the lanes (exactly what some comments up the thread have suggested are necessary in these situations). Google Maps shows they removed that configuration sometime between 2019 and 2022.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Florida+St,+Charleston,+WV/@38.345794,-81.6382062,3a,31.3y,44.3h,94.36t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s0Ty95SDY-j0DLEGwZNLuuA!2e0!5s20230601T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-4.358844389111454%26panoid%3D0Ty95SDY-j0DLEGwZNLuuA%26yaw%3D44.298475552794066!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x8848d2c564461003:0x27833bbb7d2c460!8m2!3d38.3672769!4d-81.6599839!16s%2Fg%2F1tmqs1b9?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxOC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

There's also this one at the South Side Bridge.

[1995hoo]

As of 2017, there was at least one such signal remaining at the corner of Kanawha and Greenbrier near the State Capitol. I had never been to Charleston before and we made a left from Greenbrier onto southbound Kanawha and as I completed my turn someone came FLYING through in the other lane going extremely fast (easily 60 mph or more). Startled the shit out of me because I wasn't aware of the configuration and the guy appeared out of nowhere very quickly. At least there were plastic bollards between the lanes (exactly what some comments up the thread have suggested are necessary in these situations). Google Maps shows they removed that configuration sometime between 2019 and 2022.

(link omitted)

There's also this one at the South Side Bridge.

I'll take your word for it because I have not been over that bridge and because the only time I've passed through Charleston since 2017 was in the fall of 2020, and that trip simply involved passing through on the Interstate en route to Ohio to bury my sister-in-law's cremated remains. Given the circumstances of that trip, I was less focused than usual on the roads.

[Dirt Roads]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Florida+St,+Charleston,+WV/@38.345794,-81.6382062,3a,31.3y,44.3h,94.36t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s0Ty95SDY-j0DLEGwZNLuuA!2e0!5s20230601T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-4.358844389111454%26panoid%3D0Ty95SDY-j0DLEGwZNLuuA%26yaw%3D44.298475552794066!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x8848d2c564461003:0x27833bbb7d2c460!8m2!3d38.3672769!4d-81.6599839!16s%2Fg%2F1tmqs1b9?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMxOC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

There's also this one at the South Side Bridge.

I probably mentioned this upstream, but there is another "eternal green" very closeby at the "new" access road to the South Side Bridge on the intriguingly differently named Southside Expressway (WV-61) that crosses beneath. 

Southside Expressway is still home to several of these.  Here's the one at the north end of Corridor G, also looking [westbound] here (northbound WV-61).

Then there's this one out in front of Morris Harvey (now the University of Charleston).

In olden days, the "eternal green" for the South Side Bridge access road was much closer to the C&O train station and depot.  Also, there used to be one close to there that fell in between the "new" C&P Telephone of West Virginia headquarters (now Frontier Telecom) and the "old" United Fuel headquarters (now part of TC Energy).  If I recall correctly, there also used to be ones at 21st Street, 27th Street and 29th Street before that neighborhood got absorbed by the college.  All of these were appropriately equipped with Botts' Dots between the through lane and the turn lane. 

Growing up, I was always amazed how many folks were caught passing in the left lane when the turn lane signal cycled causing them to stop and stare at the "eternal green" for some two minutes (while usually nobody came out of the side street).  Even though they were supposedly designed to allow such, I never ever saw anybody cross over the Botts Dots to get back to the free-flowing right lane.

[1995hoo]

This thread reminds me that the Virginia DOT is planning to convert the intersection of South Van Dorn Street and Crown Royal Drive here in Fairfax County to a "Continuous Green T." In the Street View image I just linked, traffic in the three northbound thru lanes (the direction the camera is facing) would have a continuous green, while the other side of the road would remain the same. Traffic coming from Crown Royal Drive (the street to the left at that intersection) would turn into a separated acceleration lane. I suppose it wouldn't be a true "eternal green," though, because the pedestrian crosswalk would remain, such that northbound traffic would get a red light when a pedestrian calls for the walk signal. In practice, in almost 25 years of living in the area I've never seen anyone cross at that particular crosswalk.

Here's a link to a .PDF showing what they plan to do there. It's not clear whether there would be any sort of curb or bollards or flexposts to force accelerating traffic to get up to speed before getting over. One potential issue that some of us raised in comments is that the right-side exit point to the Beltway comes up very quickly just north of there (Street View isn't recent enough to show this) such that people will be trying to cut across three lanes of traffic in a very short distance. I think VDOT's viewpoint is, "They should go around the other way on Crown Royal to the next traffic light to the north."

[The_Ginger]

"Continuous Green T."

Ah! I have been reading through these new posts and I suppose that it didn't register that this was what these intersections in Charleston were. I've never been on WV 61 (or if I have, it was in pre-road enthusiast days) but I've read about them on VDOT's Innovative Intersections page.

Here's the sub-page for the Green T.