Favorite Traffic Signal design

[NJ]

What are some of your favorite traffic signal/light designs/style? Post pictures.

[NJ]

California, Nevada, Arizona's



.

New Jersey's

[Ian]

I'm a huge fan of Quebec's double red horizontal signals, especially the older ones with shaped lenses...



I also really like the black/yellow color signals seen in parts of New England...

[jakeroot]

Wisconsin. Love the side-mounted near-side signals, single (or double) overhead repeater(s), thin yellow line around the signal head (just the back of the signal peeking through), and the use of up arrows when the repeater is next to a left-turn signal.

Unrelated, but I also like that they occasionally separate their left turn lanes from the through lanes.

[freebrickproductions]

I personally like Huntsville, AL's signals, especially the span wires and newer mast-arm set-ups:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.675799,-86.567895,3a,66.8y,9.88h,89.25t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s0v929kU0JrGQnHKk9xg5dg!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.69746,-86.568334,3a,66.8y,1.21h,94.92t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s1byOZWL9YQFcf8s8l9GBog!2e0

I also like ALDOT's signals, especially the older spanwires and mast-arms, though I'm not a big fan of the black signals that ALDOT uses now.
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.857563,-87.541752,3a,66.8y,249.2h,90.15t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1spY9MDzzwhFPR0f8Vc8q21A!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.824203,-87.294104,3a,66.8y,272.34h,90.63t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sr4CcMelgDi_Kxb1pTSK1VQ!2e0
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.786064,-86.68731,3a,66.8y,348.94h,94.5t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sxu3SgxAMRTRSBvZuNZR06w!2e0

[riiga]

Swedish pole/post mounted.

[Henry]

There's something about these signals that make me proud to be from Chicago:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8844829,-87.630995,3a,75y,216.83h,74.87t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPM3AtLuEL8C4EXczRiQJsg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DPM3AtLuEL8C4EXczRiQJsg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D55.364117%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

[kj3400]

There's something about these signals that make me proud to be from Chicago:
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8844829,-87.630995,3a,75y,216.83h,74.87t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sPM3AtLuEL8C4EXczRiQJsg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DPM3AtLuEL8C4EXczRiQJsg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D55.364117%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

Reminds me a bit of DC:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9014568,-77.0434605,3a,75y,214.2h,81.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skwndDmMMTetA3bptLNplAg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[NJ]

Swedish pole/post mounted.

Those higher mounted aren't very common in Stockholmslän area though that much.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

Wisconsin. Love the side-mounted near-side signals, single (or double) overhead repeater(s), thin yellow line around the signal head (just the back of the signal peeking through), and the use of up arrows when the repeater is next to a left-turn signal.

Unrelated, but I also like that they occasionally separate their left turn lanes from the through lanes.

Hey! I live in the city that this intersection is in! This is WI-93 & Brian St in Eau Claire! Unfortunately it looks like they are doing away with the up arrows for thru movement signals next to a left turn lane, as all of them on the busy 6 lane arterial through Eau Claire (US 12/ Clairemont Ave) which has about 10-15 signalized intersections across town, have had all their up arrows replaced with green balls. This might be because green balls produce more light and are easier to see.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

Unfortunately I'm kind of a noob and haven't been able to figure out how to directly upload and post pictures here, I can find anything to explain it. If someone can PM me or just reply to this post and tell me I would be glad to show you my favorites.

[Zeffy]

Unfortunately I'm kind of a noob and haven't been able to figure out how to directly upload and post pictures here, I can find anything to explain it. If someone can PM me or just reply to this post and tell me I would be glad to show you my favorites.

Upload your picture to somewhere like Photobucket, imgur, or anywhere else, and copy/paste the code the site gives you that says something along the lines of 'forum bbcode'.

[jakeroot]

Hey! I live in the city that this intersection is in! This is WI-93 & Brian St in Eau Claire! Unfortunately it looks like they are doing away with the up arrows for thru movement signals next to a left turn lane, as all of them on the busy 6 lane arterial through Eau Claire (US 12/ Clairemont Ave) which has about 10-15 signalized intersections across town, have had all their up arrows replaced with green balls. This might be because green balls produce more light and are easier to see.

Sweet! Totally random Street View pegman drop too. Just got lucky I guess. Sad to hear about the up arrows, but that's a fairly logical explanation.

Unfortunately I'm kind of a noob and haven't been able to figure out how to directly upload and post pictures here, I can find anything to explain it. If someone can PM me or just reply to this post and tell me I would be glad to show you my favorites.

Upload your picture to somewhere like Photobucket, imgur, or anywhere else, and copy/paste the code the site gives you that says something along the lines of 'forum bbcode'.

Bingo. Don't use a no-name image server either. Big companies are better because their links don't go dead over time. I've had great luck with Imgur.

Alternatively, if you already have the image link (typically ending with .jpg or .png), paste it into the reply box, highlight it, and select the image button on the far left above the reply box. This will place image tags around the link for you, and your photo should show up.

[roadfro]

California, Nevada, Arizona's

While the curved mast arms were semi common in Nevada (particularly the Reno/Carson City areas), no new curved mast arm signals have been installed in Nevada in at least a decade (probably 2-3 decades). The shorter curved arms, like in the second pic but with double guy wires, were used somewhat frequently in the Las Vegas area many years ago, but also haven't been installed in many years.

Nevada current signal standards use straight mast arms.

[oscar]

I'm a huge fan of Quebec's double red horizontal signals, especially the older ones with shaped lenses...

Prince Edward Island province, at least, still uses something similar, sometimes with an extra left arrow signal added between the two red signals. The different shapes for the red (square) and other lenses (round) also provide extra help for color-blind drivers, and IMO would be a good idea even in jurisdictions using standard vertical red/yellow/green light assemblies.

[jakeroot]

I'm a huge fan of Quebec's double red horizontal signals, especially the older ones with shaped lenses...

Prince Edward Island province, at least, still uses something similar, sometimes with an extra left arrow signal added between the two red signals. The different shapes for the red (square) and other lenses (round) also provide extra help for color-blind drivers, and IMO would be a good idea even in jurisdictions using standard vertical red/yellow/green light assemblies.

Werent shapes disallowed in the US because each signal produced a different amount of light than the others? I for one think different shapes are a good idea, but I can see where the FHWA is coming from.

[Quillz]

I'm a huge fan of Quebec's double red horizontal signals, especially the older ones with shaped lenses...

Yup, was going to post these, as well. Too bad newer installations don't use the shaped lenses. I've always preferred horizontally-mounted lights, and it seems like having distinct shapes (to go with the colors) would have only made them even easier to see from a distance. Maybe not.

[mrfoxboy]

I'm a huge fan of Quebec's double red horizontal signals, especially the older ones with shaped lenses...

Yup, was going to post these, as well. Too bad newer installations don't use the shaped lenses. I've always preferred horizontally-mounted lights, and it seems like having distinct shapes (to go with the colors) would have only made them even easier to see from a distance. Maybe not.

We have the same style here in NB and PEI. I always found the shaped lenses looked sharp myself, sadly seem to be going away. AFAIK PEI is still installing shaped LED "lenses" unless they stopped very recently (the Charlottetown bypass uses them).
https://www.google.ca/maps/@46.2687731,-63.113868,3a,75y,347.8h,90.5t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sQ_oEdzfHouTjHIWj6DJPXA!2e0!5s20090801T000000!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DQ_oEdzfHouTjHIWj6DJPXA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D392%26h%3D106%26yaw%3D170.11864%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656

[Big John]

^^ If you swing it 90 degrees to the right, the 2015 view shows a horizontal signal without the shapes while the older shots show a signal with the shapes.

[mrfoxboy]

^^ If you swing it 90 degrees to the right, the 2015 view shows a horizontal signal without the shapes while the older shots show a signal with the shapes.

I stand corrected. There really isn't much consistency to the signal mfg and shaped vs. non-shaped. Even their replacement of incandescent bulbs is inconsistent, even within the same intersection.

[M3019C LPS20]

I'm fond of New York City's mast-arm/guy wire setup.

[peterj920]

This was just installed in Suamico, WI last year.  Not too many trombone mast arms with horizontal signals are installed anymore.  I like how Wisconsin installs more signals at intersections compared to other states. 

[realjd]

I'm a huge fan of Quebec's double red horizontal signals, especially the older ones with shaped lenses...

I like the Quebec ones, except for using a flashing green in place of a green left arrow at some intersections.



I also really like the black/yellow color signals seen in parts of New England...


[/quote]

Florida has been going to the opposite, interestingly. Black signals have been standard here for years, with black backplates on the EB and WB signals becoming common lately in my area. Lately statewide they seem to have moved to black signals with a reflective yellow border. I saw some of that style in Indiana also earlier this week.

[jakeroot]

I like the Quebec ones, except for using a flashing green in place of a green left arrow at some intersections.

Could you expand a little on what you mean? I know, in Canada, the green arrow flashes to distinguish itself from the amber arrow, which occupies the same position.

If I remember correctly, at least Ontario used a flashing green orb as a way to indicate a protected left, but this has been long discontinued, AFAIK.

[realjd]

I like the Quebec ones, except for using a flashing green in place of a green left arrow at some intersections.

Could you expand a little on what you mean? I know, in Canada, the green arrow flashes to distinguish itself from the amber arrow, which occupies the same position.

If I remember correctly, at least Ontario used a flashing green orb as a way to indicate a protected left, but this has been long discontinued, AFAIK.

I'm talking about a flashing green orb being used for a protected left. I've seen it most often in Quebec on what seem to be older installations and I don't like it. I don't think I've seen it in Ontario. I've also never seen a flashing green arrow in Canada. ON and QC, at least with their more modern signals, follow the rest of North America with their signals, except for QC's unique double reds.

I have seen 4 section signals in New York where the green and yellow arrows occupy the same (bottom) section, but the green doesn't flash.