Unusual Traffic Signals

[rickmastfan67]

Yea that's it, thx Rick and US71, sorry I did'nt have a picture. But glad someone knew what I was referring to!

Heh.  Well, believe it or not, SB US-17 in that area has 3 sets of them in that area (including the one I linked above), so I was pretty sure it was what you where talking about.

[US71]

Hopefully I'll have a photo later on, but Fayetteville, AR has just installed it's first Flashing Yellow Arrow signals at US 62 and I-540.
What makes it "unusual" is WB traffic has a FYA signal for traffic turning south on the east service road with NO green. It's Red Arrow, Steady Yellow Arrow, Flashing Yellow Arrow (no 2 in 1 arrows like Missouri).

EB traffic has a 2 left turn lanes and 2 thru traffic lanes, but no FYA.

[vtk]

Most of us are familiar with those yellow signs that say "Prepare to stop when flashing" with the yellow flashing lights when the light is going to turn.  Other times, the yellow lights attached to the sign are off, right?  Well, very recently I noticed that the sign on NB US 42 in Delaware, OH approaching the London Rd signal, has those lights steady on when they're not flashing.  I haven't checked the MUTCD yet to determine if this is a permitted variation.  It might be some kind of malfunction, actually.  The SB sign works like all the other ones I've seen.

[Ace10]

Yea that's it, thx Rick and US71, sorry I did'nt have a picture. But glad someone knew what I was referring to!

There are another two heading westbound on Nasa Parkway near the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex (which they think are located on Florida State Road 405, even through there's an END 405 shield just east of US 1 before crossing into Merritt Island).

Here's the easternmost one. Follow the road westbound to the next intersection for the second one.
http://maps.google.com/?ll=28.526227,-80.67908&spn=0.001704,0.001926&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=28.526225,-80.678807&panoid=SaNliqchx2vK_sTeuO-Rug&cbp=12,259.62,,0,-1

[vtk]

Note: this is a composite of 2 photos.  The red and green signals were not displayed at the same time.

Fairwood Ave NB at Refugee Rd in Columbus, at the end of June this year.  I don't think that 4-box arrangement is allowed in the MUTCD.  Notice the SB approach has a similar arrangement (top left corner of photo).

A week later, those signalheads were rearranged to put the green circle and green arrow side by side on the bottom row.

A week after that, the thing was replaced by a "normal" doghouse assembly, with a 12" red and the rest of the lights only 8".

If they're having that much trouble with clearance under the signals, maybe they should raise the spanwire a bit...

[jcn]

You know, I've noticed that the T-signals in Delaware are becoming less and less common as time goes on.  I wander if they eventually plan on getting rid of all the T-signals in the state.  Also, T-signals in Delaware are used for through/right turn traffic where the red light is on the top left, and the top right is a red right arrow that is very rarely lit.

[US71]

I'm not sure if this is "unusual" or a major "oops"?
Hwy 291 at Commercial St in Harrisonville, MO

[Big John]

That's a major oops.  MUTCD has a order of signal colors with balls/arrows and green over yellow is not part of that.

[jeffandnicole]

You don't purchase cars made on Friday.  You shouldn't purchase signals made on Fridays either apparently.

[US71]

I received a response from MODOT:

Thank you for notifying us of the discrepancy in the signal head layout at 291 & Commercial Street in Harrisonville, MO.

This is a new signal set up at the intersection.

Our project manager has notified the contractor and the signal head configuration will be corrected by 06/23/16.


We appreciate your assistance with noticing this discrepancy and very much appreciate that you took the time to notify MoDOT.

[Alex]

Roadman65, flaroads and I rode through this intersection in Jacksonville last week and were quite confused. The signals were first both green and red, then yellow/red simultaneously. Though I know these were malfunctioning, it was reminiscent of these in Wilmington, DE:



and this signal in Baltimore:



and while I'm at it, this long gone assembly from Prichard, Alabama:



One red and one green at the same time. 

[mrsman]

Red ball and green arrow may not be intuitive, but I've never got confused at this intersection of Wilshire/Santa Monica in Beverly Hills, CA:

THe red ball controls the straight movement and the green arrow controls the right turn.

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.067015,-118.4106684,3a,75y,203.89h,87.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6__1Su6eyWtq3mYM7djRuw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[kphoger]

Note: this is a composite of 2 photos.  The red and green signals were not displayed at the same time.

If they're having that much trouble with clearance under the signals, maybe they should raise the spanwire a bit...

Am I seeing things wrong, or is the span wire connected to a utility pole?  If so, then it's not simply a matter of raising the attachment.  The electric company owns their poles and leases space below the electric lines to other entities by the inch (such as the cable company).  There are also minimum height and clearance issues at work.  For example, if a cable tech has to drive a J-hook into a pole more than just a few inches from the previous attachment, then he has to submit notice to the cable company, who then has to notify the electric company, or else it is an illegal attachment because it was done on another company's property.

A more reasonable approach would be a horizontal stoplight.

[vtk]

Note: this is a composite of 2 photos.  The red and green signals were not displayed at the same time.

If they're having that much trouble with clearance under the signals, maybe they should raise the spanwire a bit...

Am I seeing things wrong, or is the span wire connected to a utility pole?  If so, then it's not simply a matter of raising the attachment.  The electric company owns their poles and leases space below the electric lines to other entities by the inch (such as the cable company).  There are also minimum height and clearance issues at work.  For example, if a cable tech has to drive a J-hook into a pole more than just a few inches from the previous attachment, then he has to submit notice to the cable company, who then has to notify the electric company, or else it is an illegal attachment because it was done on another company's property.

A more reasonable approach would be a horizontal stoplight.

It didn't stay that way for long.  I'm not sure exactly what they did to resolve the clearance issue, but it was changed to a more conventional display about a week after I posted that.

[CJResotko]

Here are a couple of unusual traffic lights in Michigan.
A left turn signal with 3 arrows (RYG) and a red ball at the top in Detroit: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3704098,-83.0835837,3a,36.1y,70.23h,100.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ssYR0jYV3A3uxQhoD1llb0A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
2 4-section signals with two red indications: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3494361,-83.0869134,3a,15y,43.92h,105.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1suOAQT57oyZu8K3v6zeyBRg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
This had an arrow indication on what is now a green bulb. I was able to get a view on GSV of it. https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3491796,-83.0880472,3a,15y,68.46h,91.67t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbufOL31sFLP7-vlgfd745g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
8-inch and 12-inch signals in clusters - East Lansing: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.7597795,-84.4935005,3a,54.1y,348.71h,112.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6P3TRHdDMCweowp5lyIt2Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[fillup420]

Bump!

The only "Cobra Head" I've seen in person:

These are quite common in South Carolina

[D-Dey65]

This is a really old thread, but I had to post it here. What's with this weird signal tree that looks like it was made out of old intersection control beacons on New York State Route 9D in Beacon, New York?
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.494019,-73.9601217,3a,75y,128.25h,87.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skIi7ZJVh9BD0PVVgh70uYw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu
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[LilianaUwU]

This is a really old thread, but I had to post it here. What's with this weird signal tree that looks like it was made out of old intersection control beacons on New York State Route 9D in Beacon, New York?
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.494019,-73.9601217,3a,75y,128.25h,87.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skIi7ZJVh9BD0PVVgh70uYw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu

That's the town's namesake!

[mrsman]

https://soranews24.com/2024/05/25/himakajima-the-japanese-island-with-one-traffic-light-that-only-turns-green-once-a-year

This seems like the best place to put this story.

[CJResotko]

Filmed this flashing green beacon in Coal Grove, Ohio, about a week ago. Definitely not something you see everyday.
https://youtu.be/V992LDXgrm0?si=RK2CxXDnXbBzmEP0

Not sure why they didn't use a flashing yellow beacon instead, but whatever.

(Also, there used to be a Crouse Hinds fixed 3-way beacon at this intersection that also had the green, but it was solid instead of flashing.)

[jeffandnicole]

Filmed this flashing green beacon in Coal Grove, Ohio, about a week ago. Definitely not something you see everyday.
https://youtu.be/V992LDXgrm0?si=RK2CxXDnXbBzmEP0

Not sure why they didn't use a flashing yellow beacon instead, but whatever.

(Also, there used to be a Crouse Hinds fixed 3-way beacon at this intersection that also had the green, but it was solid instead of flashing.)

It would've been nice for them to zoom out at some point during the video to show the entire intersection and why the light functions as it does. Shooting 3 minutes of video, with much of it simply showing the red flashing light, was a waste of time.

[CJResotko]

Two non-MUTCD-compliant traffic light setups outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan: a regular RYG traffic signal to the left of a left turn doghouse

Google Maps links to the intersections:
Jackson Road and Parkville Plaza
Jackson Road and Auto Mall Drive

[crispy93]

This is a really old thread, but I had to post it here. What's with this weird signal tree that looks like it was made out of old intersection control beacons on New York State Route 9D in Beacon, New York?
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.494019,-73.9601217,3a,75y,128.25h,87.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skIi7ZJVh9BD0PVVgh70uYw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en&entry=ttu
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I can't believe I've never noticed that. I looked on historical aerials and the Mt. Beacon parking lot had a short road running through it, such that the yellow lights faced the two legs of now-9D and the yellow signals faced Howland and the Mt. Beacon road.

Not too many unusual signals in my area, but NYSDOT sometimes puts up these that are just a yellow ball and a green "up" arrow: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pM3MDM4tkbdU23nB9 often used when one direction of a divided road has a RIRO intersection and the other direction does not. This happens again on US 9 on Poughkeepsie near NY 113.

[cockroachking]

Not too many unusual signals in my area, but NYSDOT sometimes puts up these that are just a yellow ball and a green "up" arrow: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pM3MDM4tkbdU23nB9 often used when one direction of a divided road has a RIRO intersection and the other direction does not. This happens again on US 9 on Poughkeepsie near NY 113.

I've never understood why those heads have the second section. If the signal goes into flashing mode, it doesn't matter if the green straight arrows stay since there is never any conflicting traffic or pedestrian movements.

[PColumbus73]

This is a fairly new install in North Myrtle Beach, SC, intersection of Barefoot Resort Bridge Road and Club Course Drive here