Traffic signal

[jakeroot]

This intersection outside of Victoria, BC uses an all-blue colour scheme. I've seen custom-coloured mast-arms before, but I've never seen the actual signals painted as well. If I'm being frank, I don't know if I care much for the blue/yellow backplate scheme, but seeing as the latter is unavoidable, the only other option would be to use a different colour for the mast-arms (black or brown being my favorite two, other than plain silver -- I also like a yellow wrap around the base of the mast, something seen, until recently, in Nevada, as well as Australia/NZ).

https://goo.gl/clJW1T

[roadfro]

I also like a yellow wrap around the base of the mast, something seen, until recently, in Nevada, as well as Australia/NZ).

The yellow paint wrap around the lower part of the signal mast (typically the lower half of the distance between the mast arm and the ground), was only ever really a thing in the Las Vegas/Clark County area (typically coupled with a more white-silverish coating on the rest of the mast and mast arm for most entities except North Las Vegas). The yellow treatment was also given to the entirety of smaller poles used for ped heads and post-mounted signals. Most of the municipalities in Vegas used the yellow pole wrap scheme, and some outlying areas of the County as well, if I recall correctly.

However, the yellow wrap scheme hasn't been common practice for some time now–if I had to guess, it ceased in the mid-to-late 1990's. Continued refreshing of previously painted poles tends to vary: City of Las Vegas appears to not make this a priority (some casual glances on Street View show painted poles to be somewhat faded) but Clark County does seem to maintain at least some of their yellow paint still (as recent Street Views around the Strip and UNLV show seemingly fresh paint on signal poles, but not as much in other areas).


I can't think of a yellow pole wrap treatment anywhere in Reno, Sparks or Carson City. So I'm reasonably certain this was primarily a Vegas thing...

[freebrickproductions]

I must say, blue signals look nice.

[myosh_tino]

I also like a yellow wrap around the base of the mast, something seen, until recently, in Nevada, as well as Australia/NZ).

The yellow paint wrap around the lower part of the signal mast (typically the lower half of the distance between the mast arm and the ground), was only ever really a thing in the Las Vegas/Clark County area (typically coupled with a more white-silverish coating on the rest of the mast and mast arm for most entities except North Las Vegas). The yellow treatment was also given to the entirety of smaller poles used for ped heads and post-mounted signals. Most of the municipalities in Vegas used the yellow pole wrap scheme, and some outlying areas of the County as well, if I recall correctly.

However, the yellow wrap scheme hasn't been common practice for some time now–if I had to guess, it ceased in the mid-to-late 1990's. Continued refreshing of previously painted poles tends to vary: City of Las Vegas appears to not make this a priority (some casual glances on Street View show painted poles to be somewhat faded) but Clark County does seem to maintain at least some of their yellow paint still (as recent Street Views around the Strip and UNLV show seemingly fresh paint on signal poles, but not as much in other areas).


I can't think of a yellow pole wrap treatment anywhere in Reno, Sparks or Carson City. So I'm reasonably certain this was primarily a Vegas thing...

San Jose used to do the same thing to it's traffic signal poles.  The poles and mast arm were painted a very dark green but the pole below the post-mounted signal was painted bright yellow.  There aren't a whole lot of these poles left in San Jose as most new poles and mast arms are either left as it (metallic silver) or are painted dark green to black.

The city of Saratoga does something similar in that they paint the lower half of the signal poles brown while leaving the upper half of the pole and the mast arm unpainted.  I suspect this is done for aesthetic purposes only.  It does match the color of their street blades.

[kphoger]

Here are some of the stoplights I found interesting during our trip to México last week.

While we Americans are trying to decide how many additional/redundant signals to place at an intersection, México has no problem with just one for each direction on a divided highway.  I also notice now (not when I took the picture) that the red lights are at the wrong end.


How long before none of the bulbs on these stoplights even display at all?  Less than half of each red lights up.


Has anyone seen anything like this?  These lights were just installed this year in Monclova.  "Siga" means "Go ahead," and "Alto" means "Stop."  I don't remember what word shows up for yellow.  These lights do a full Green–Flashing green–Yellow–Red cycle.  There were no left turns allowed at the intersection, so no arrow lights.

[Ace10]

^ Those changeable arrow signals are kinda cool. Are those basically LED displays which change from green-yellow-red?

I've never driven in Mexico, but I was there about a year and a half ago and noticed something unique about how some (if not most/all) intersections were phased - at least in Quintana Roo. It looked like the entire intersection was using split-phasing, where each direction of a four-way intersection had a phase where all movements were fully protected in just that one direction, and the right-of-way rotated to allow each direction their turn to drive. At some places, traffic in opposing directions never went simultaneously; it was always one side at a time.

[kphoger]

^ Those changeable arrow signals are kinda cool. Are those basically LED displays which change from green-yellow-red?

I've never driven in Mexico, but I was there about a year and a half ago and noticed something unique about how some (if not most/all) intersections were phased - at least in Quintana Roo. It looked like the entire intersection was using split-phasing, where each direction of a four-way intersection had a phase where all movements were fully protected in just that one direction, and the right-of-way rotated to allow each direction their turn to drive. At some places, traffic in opposing directions never went simultaneously; it was always one side at a time.

Yes, fully-protected split phasing is common.  And annoying.  An intersection I specifically posted upthread turned out to no longer have working stoplights when I was there last week.  It was basically a free-for-all, and I liked that better.

[kphoger]

Is there a standard way of arranging the lights when it's horizontally mounted?  I was driving in Wichita Falls (TX) on Sunday and realized the lights weren't simply normal 5-lamp stoplights turned 90 degrees.

With five lamps vertically mounted, stoplights go /TOP/(red ball)(yellow ball)(green ball)(yellow arrow)(green arrow)/BOTTOM/

But in Wichita Falls I saw a stoplight that went /LEFT/(red ball)(yellow ball)(green arrow)(yellow arrow)(green ball)/RIGHT/ if I remember right.

Is that the normal order?  Does it vary a lot?

[7/8]

Is there a standard way of arranging the lights when it's horizontally mounted?  I was driving in Wichita Falls (TX) on Sunday and realized the lights weren't simply normal 5-lamp stoplights turned 90 degrees.

With five lamps vertically mounted, stoplights go /TOP/(red ball)(yellow ball)(green ball)(yellow arrow)(green arrow)/BOTTOM/

But in Wichita Falls I saw a stoplight that went /LEFT/(red ball)(yellow ball)(green arrow)(yellow arrow)(green ball)/RIGHT/ if I remember right.

Is that the normal order?  Does it vary a lot?

IIRC, in Quebec, horizontal signals are from left to right: red ball, yellow ball, green ball, optional green/yellow arrow, and red ball again (though technically, the red lights are sometimes square and the yellow lights are sometimes diamonds to help those who are colour blind).

[jeffandnicole]

Is there a standard way of arranging the lights when it's horizontally mounted?  I was driving in Wichita Falls (TX) on Sunday and realized the lights weren't simply normal 5-lamp stoplights turned 90 degrees.

With five lamps vertically mounted, stoplights go /TOP/(red ball)(yellow ball)(green ball)(yellow arrow)(green arrow)/BOTTOM/

But in Wichita Falls I saw a stoplight that went /LEFT/(red ball)(yellow ball)(green arrow)(yellow arrow)(green ball)/RIGHT/ if I remember right.

Is that the normal order?  Does it vary a lot?

There should be absolutely no variation whatsoever.   

Per the MUTCD...

Section 4D.10 Positions of Signal Indications Within a Horizontal Signal Face

Standard:
01 In each horizontally-arranged signal face, all signal sections that display red signal indications shall be located to the left of all signal sections that display yellow and green signal indications.

02 In horizontally-arranged signal faces, each signal section that displays a YELLOW ARROW signal indication shall be located to the left of the signal section that displays the GREEN ARROW signal indication to which it applies.

03 The relative positions of signal sections in a horizontally-arranged signal face, from left to right, shall be as follows:
CIRCULAR RED
Steady and/or flashing left-turn RED ARROW
Steady and/or flashing right-turn RED ARROW
CIRCULAR YELLOW
Steady left-turn YELLOW ARROW
Flashing left-turn YELLOW ARROW
Left-turn GREEN ARROW
CIRCULAR GREEN
Straight-through GREEN ARROW
Steady right-turn YELLOW ARROW
Flashing right-turn YELLOW ARROW
Right-turn GREEN ARROW

[kphoger]

03 The relative positions of signal sections in a horizontally-arranged signal face, from left to right, shall be as follows:
CIRCULAR RED
Steady and/or flashing left-turn RED ARROW
Steady and/or flashing right-turn RED ARROW
CIRCULAR YELLOW
Steady left-turn YELLOW ARROW
Flashing left-turn YELLOW ARROW
Left-turn GREEN ARROW
CIRCULAR GREEN
Straight-through GREEN ARROW
Steady right-turn YELLOW ARROW
Flashing right-turn YELLOW ARROW
Right-turn GREEN ARROW

Then all is well.  I realize now I got the order of the arrows mixed up in my memory.

I guess I just never realized till now that the lamps aren't in the same order vertical as horizontal.  Vertical, the green ball is in the middle, whereas horizontal it's at the end.

[UCFKnights]

03 The relative positions of signal sections in a horizontally-arranged signal face, from left to right, shall be as follows:
CIRCULAR RED
Steady and/or flashing left-turn RED ARROW
Steady and/or flashing right-turn RED ARROW
CIRCULAR YELLOW
Steady left-turn YELLOW ARROW
Flashing left-turn YELLOW ARROW
Left-turn GREEN ARROW
CIRCULAR GREEN
Straight-through GREEN ARROW
Steady right-turn YELLOW ARROW
Flashing right-turn YELLOW ARROW
Right-turn GREEN ARROW

Then all is well.  I realize now I got the order of the arrows mixed up in my memory.

I guess I just never realized till now that the lamps aren't in the same order vertical as horizontal.  Vertical, the green ball is in the middle, whereas horizontal it's at the end.

Well if its a right turn, the green ball is in the middle still, only on permissive left turns is it at the end.

[jakeroot]

Went through this signal today, just east of Vancouver (couldn't snap a photo quick enough). All 8-inch (200 mm) arrows. 200 mm arrows aren't unheard of around here, but they're mainly used on the mast. Almost unheard of on the arm:

https://goo.gl/cIzJlK

[cl94]

I was in New Brunswick a couple of weeks ago and saw a new signal type that was quite unexpected. In New Brunswick, 4-section protected-permissive signal heads flash the green arrow rapidly in protected mode. Kind of like a variant of Ontario's old flashing green.

[jakeroot]

I was in New Brunswick a couple of weeks ago and saw a new signal type that was quite unexpected. In New Brunswick, 4-section protected-permissive signal heads flash the green arrow rapidly in protected mode. Kind of like a variant of Ontario's old flashing green.

That's the standard for 4-section bi-modal protected/permissive signals across Canada, at least as far as I know. The green arrow blinks at 120 flashes per minute, switching to a solid amber arrow before expiring.

[cl94]

I was in New Brunswick a couple of weeks ago and saw a new signal type that was quite unexpected. In New Brunswick, 4-section protected-permissive signal heads flash the green arrow rapidly in protected mode. Kind of like a variant of Ontario's old flashing green.

That's the standard for 4-section bi-modal protected/permissive signals across Canada, at least as far as I know. The green arrow blinks at 120 flashes per minute, switching to a solid amber arrow before expiring.

Definitely not the standard in Ontario. Almost everything there now follows US guidelines.

[jakeroot]

I was in New Brunswick a couple of weeks ago and saw a new signal type that was quite unexpected. In New Brunswick, 4-section protected-permissive signal heads flash the green arrow rapidly in protected mode. Kind of like a variant of Ontario's old flashing green.

That's the standard for 4-section bi-modal protected/permissive signals across Canada, at least as far as I know. The green arrow blinks at 120 flashes per minute, switching to a solid amber arrow before expiring.

Definitely not the standard in Ontario. Almost everything there now follows US guidelines.

Note this excerpt from the BC manual on signal design:



How does Toronto operate permissive left turns? Solid green arrow before solid yellow arrow?

[cl94]

From what I've seen, Ontario uses a 4-section often with no yellow arrow, similar to this installation in Niagara Falls. I am most familiar with Niagara Region practices, but most of the GTA seems to be similar.

[MisterSG1]

Yuppers, in Toronto it is a solid green arrow followed by a solid yellow arrow for protected-permissive turns.

In a fully protected turn situation, only the green signal gets an arrow, so from top to bottom the lights are red ball, yellow ball, green arrow.


HOWEVER, in Durham Region and Waterloo Region, the green arrows flash just like what cl94 experienced in NB. Even the fully protected left arrows flash in these two regions. I guess the whole point is to say to the driver "Look dummy, you have the right of way to make the turn"

[cl94]

Do note also that fully protected turns are quite rare in Ontario and are basically limited to dual left turn lanes and the one SPUI in St. Catharines. There are only a couple in Niagara Region, for example, while just across the river every major intersection has them. Typically, it's the 4-section that, depending on who installed it, may or may not be bimodal.

Didn't know that Durham and Waterloo flashed. I thought Ontario wanted to get rid of flashing greens entirely to conform more to American practices and reduce confusion.

[MisterSG1]

Do note also that fully protected turns are quite rare in Ontario and are basically limited to dual left turn lanes and the one SPUI in St. Catharines. There are only a couple in Niagara Region, for example, while just across the river every major intersection has them. Typically, it's the 4-section that, depending on who installed it, may or may not be bimodal.

Didn't know that Durham and Waterloo flashed. I thought Ontario wanted to get rid of flashing greens entirely to conform more to American practices and reduce confusion.

In fact cl94, I'm fairly sure we encountered a flashing green arrow in Durham Region on the roadmeet when i rode along with you. Could have swore we saw one in the Brooklin community that's part of Whitby.

In some intersections in Durham Region, mind you I'm not as familiar with Durham as I am with the rest of the GTA, there are five signal heads where a yellow arrow gets its own lamp rather than the common bimodal arrow.

In Windsor, 5 signal heads are almost used exclusively to my knowledge for PPLT.

As for fully protected lefts, while they are generally used for dual left turn lanes, i know plenty in the GTA that are single lane fully protected left turns. Look up Goreway and Queen in Brampton, EB Queen has a FPLT while WB Queen has a PPLT and they both have one left turn lane each.

[7/8]

HOWEVER, in Durham Region and Waterloo Region, the green arrows flash just like what cl94 experienced in NB. Even the fully protected left arrows flash in these two regions. I guess the whole point is to say to the driver "Look dummy, you have the right of way to make the turn"

I just want to add that even though left-turn green arrows flash in Waterloo Region, right-turn green arrows don't flash. It's really noticeable on the Hwy 8 off-ramp at Fairway Rd in Kitchener. It's strange considering that the left and right green arrows represent the same thing.

[DrSmith]

I remember seeing flashing green in Honduras. The protected left would start as a solid green, but when it was getting close the changing, it would start flashing. The left turn was usually after the standard thru phase with a permissive left turn. Once red, the green arrow would appear. Also, the arrow was on all the way to the left or on top.

Sometimes, the solid green would also flash just prior to the yellow light appearing.

[jeffandnicole]

This signal is on Colony Blvd. in The Villages, FL, where a golf cart path meets a regular street. Carts are permitted on Colony as well (and you can see a bicyclist in the mix too). Image detection is used to detect vehicles, carts & bikes.

[7/8]

I found an upside-down pedestrian countdown signal in Ottawa, at Sussex and Rideau (heading NB along Sussex) on Sept. 2nd. Unfortunately, by the time I took a photo, it looks like an ordinary "2", but the fact that the number is on the left instead of right is proof that it's upside-down