Traffic signal

[Amtrakprod]

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4016882,-71.04152,3a,61.9y,94.75h,98.08t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1syK2Ij0QApwg2B_fGpLWX4g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The left turn arrow you linked in that direction is bimodal. Not sure how the phasing is or if the other side also has a bimodal arrow. Looks like it runs lead-lag phasing. Hopefully MassDOT (or whoever maintains these signals) gets these replaced like the one further upstream.

Sadly not everything MassDOT even new is perfect.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4032614,-71.0564923,3a,29.8y,245.79h,92.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYIljREea17afs14Z8pYZVA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
I wonder how no one noticed how dumb this was, on a signal with a right turn arrow.

Based on experience, that new signal may have been there to replace a broken one and it's still probable that this intersection is still on the original controller. Not sure if the remaining signals are going to be modernised on the Revere Beach Parkway.

The fact that it is bimodal makes it weirder to me somehow. Seems like a rare signal set up anyways.

In the second link you mentioned, I was discussing the "no turns" sign when clearly right turns are allowed.

[mrsman]

Bruh MA:

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4039225,-71.0078742,3a,15.3y,204.48h,94.43t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqtHji-IZPYdVeE7kcSdDxQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

There are so many things wrong here. The icing on the cake is the bridge that's been closed for 5 or so years. Guess that red left arrow's been red for a while.

looks like someone was using it: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.4035401,-71.0080116,3a,75y,27.63h,95.97t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sse8hGdsf6u6x8ZJ_16g8uA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I'm gonna guess that it's being used primarily for U-turns now? Going off the tire marks on the ground. There appears to be several driveways in the background, facing the street, where drivers would need to make a U-turn to head the other way. This basically being the perfect spot.

Despite all of this, I would still think that it would be a good practice at the point of the left turn lane to somehow put in a sign that says U-turn only.  For those who are unfamiliar, when you see a green arrow, they may very likely just go and make the left turn and it would be quite a surprise to either go the wrong way down the street or to hit a closed bridge.

There are many places with u-turn only left-turn lanes and signals and this could be modified to accommodate that design as well.

It could work, but I'm not sure if MassDOT feels the need.
I would like something like this: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3069313,-71.2928574,3a,32.8y,243.46h,91.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqq6CQwnxnvwBqWpwjBYnjA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
See, MA new signals are really good!

This is a really cool example and a nice implementation of a Michigan left, albeit with signals.

[Amtrakprod]

Yellow lights on-ramp meters:
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5574864,-117.6734141,3a,27.9y,179.17h,89.96t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sGfCwC90W-tS16nsBFKBYAQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.5573935,-117.673404,3a,75y,179.67h,93.45t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1svORWtKH23iTexHaz2XBB_A!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[SignBridge]

Yeah Calif. goes first-class. In New York State, the ramp-meters are only red/green.

[STLmapboy]

Yeah Calif. goes first-class. In New York State, the ramp-meters are only red/green.

MO doesn't even have ramp meters. Chicago may (I'm not sure).
We should make a list of states/cities with ramp meters.

[mrsman]

Yeah Calif. goes first-class. In New York State, the ramp-meters are only red/green.

MO doesn't even have ramp meters. Chicago may (I'm not sure).
We should make a list of states/cities with ramp meters.

CA was (I believe) the first state to have them.  Originally, they converted walk/don't walk pedestrian signals to serve as the warning that the meter signal was on.  (There was no guidance at the time of how to warn of their operation and over time CA converted these to the now standard flashing yellow light at the onramp entrance.)  Many of the older meter signals in CA that I remember had R-Y-G on the top light but only R-G at the bottom.  In original operation, it was standard to go R-G-R-G-R-G to form a pulse of vehicles at the entrance, but the yellow signal was used as a way of warning to red only after a long green.

I remember specifically the operation of a ramp meter at La Cienega onto I-405 south in Inglewood, CA that my father used to get to work (as I remember it back in the 80's).  Some times of day it was off.  In the early morning hours it was on, but the signal was largely green and rarely red.  But in the mid-day and afternoon, it was R-G stop and go.  At this on-ramp, all traffic merged from two lanes to one lane and then that one lane formed the auxiliary lane which forced an exit onto Century Blvd one exit later.  Century Blvd was the main exit to LAX before I-105 was built.  While the metering made merging from the onramp to the mainline easier, it also made it easier for mainline traffic to make it to the right lane for the Airport exit.  Usually, traffic for the airport exit was busier mid-day than it was during morning rush hour so the normal stop-go operation occurred in mid-day but in the early morning it was largely green.  My father usually started work late and when he came early he marveled because he was not used to seeing a meter signal that was green the entire time.  In that instance, the yellow light was used to transition from green to red-green operation at about 10 a.m. on weekdays.

Another thing to marvel is how widespread the ramp meters are in CA.  They are practically in every major city and suburban area.  In other states, the meters are reserved for the busiest zones.  Also, in most other areas metering signals are only on during the rush hour.  CA's rush hour is practically all day even on weekends and those meters are on for most hours of the day.

In my current area (MD near Washington DC) there is some news that I-270 will soon get ramp meters as part of a project to handle congestion.  This is new for MD as there are currently no meters in suburban Washington or in Baltimore.

[thenetwork]

Ohio was also an early experimenter with ramp meter lights.  There was a stretch of I-71 in Columbus somewhere between downtown and the north side of I-270 where they had 2-segment signals as far back as the 60s.

[fwydriver405]

IIRC, some of the traffic signals (some removed) along the Tip O'Neill and Ted Williams Tunnel were supposed to become ramp meters on the ramps into the tunnels, and some mainline meters on the approaches to the tunnel from I-90 and 93. Not sure what killed them off.

[ErmineNotyours]

A New York City flashing right arrow has been converted to a steady right arrow, or it's a malfunction.

[Amtrakprod]

A New York City flashing right arrow has been converted to a steady right arrow, or it's a malfunction.

Yeah wth @9:16

[mrsman]

A New York City flashing right arrow has been converted to a steady right arrow, or it's a malfunction.

Yeah wth @9:16

IIRC, that's right by Trump Tower.  It seems that they closed 56th for security and forced all traffic to turn right onto 5th Ave.  This is different from many intersections where there is a separate signal for turns and a separate signal for straight traffic.  In those cases, the separate signal for turns will have a red arrow to allow for a leading pedestrian interval and the FYA will indicate a permitted turn that yields to peds.  Here, though, since the only allowed movement is turning right, you will always have to yield.

In most cases where a side street must turn in one direction onto an avenue (like at a T intersection) a green ball is used instead.  Like at 61st and 5th.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7655164,-73.9721454,3a,75y,305.95h,88.05t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sEFZCgoM_jUellYE8nB1XNw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DEFZCgoM_jUellYE8nB1XNw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D17.507532%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Other T intersections will have separate phases for the right turn (green arrow) and the parallel crossing peds.  Like here at Broadway and 35th, although the peds are crossing illegally as is common in Manhattan.  This intersection was a new T intersection when they closed certain blocks of Broadway to make a pedestrian plaza near Herald Square.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7508089,-73.9878365,3a,75y,201.34h,89.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1skpEibz2XjTqiYnRJUIuLPQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Agreed that it should be a flashing yellow at 56th and 5th, but I'm unsure if it ever was a flashing yellow arrow that broke or whether they just cheaply converted the signal from green ball (when traffic was allowed to drive on the block) to yellow arrow and never updated the timing of the signal (to allow for flashing).

[D-Dey65]

Did the City of Beacon get rid of their dummy light at Main and East Main Streets?
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5026639,-73.9628526,3a,75y,222.13h,70.62t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4BhjR6fpD2veaL81D1h0rA!2e0!5s20190901T000000!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

[mrsman]

Did the City of Beacon get rid of their dummy light at Main and East Main Streets?
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5026639,-73.9628526,3a,75y,222.13h,70.62t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4BhjR6fpD2veaL81D1h0rA!2e0!5s20190901T000000!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en

That looks like it might be confused for real, given its placement in the intersection.  If the city want to keep it there, they should make the intersection an all-way stop.  That way unpowered signal = all way stop and there would be no confusion.  The intersection seems very quiet and probably doesn't warrant a signal anyway.

[mrsman]

That last post reminds me of a story.

I was once at this intersection, 146th and Archer in Queens, NY.  It's a T-intersection where 146th ends at Archer with a stop sign.  Across the street there is a parking lot (for LIRR employees presumably) where a signal is used to control the operation of the gate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7003139,-73.8087162,3a,75y,154.75h,76.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1DrIuO6B10A9t0xzMstUxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Anyway, I'm trying to make a left turn when traffic clears.  The car in front of me won't budge.  I'm honking and she's not moving.  I go up to her and say, why don't you go traffic is clear and I want to make a left while there is still a clearance of traffic.  She refuses to go because the light is red!  I tried to explain to her that the signal does not control the intersection and that it's basically red all the time unless someone operates the gate to enter the parking lot.  She eventually got the drift, but by the time she went, I had to wait another full cycle of the next intersection's (Archer/Sutphin) signal before I could find a clearing.

I see similar signals at government building parking lots in the DC area, but those are not usually places at intersections so there is little confusion for traffic on the public streets..

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Several blatant MUTCD violations in this setup Hudson, NY

Zoom in to the pole signal if its hard to see, and pan around a bit

https://maps.app.goo.gl/obNXxuJsi37T4AKPA

[Amtrakprod]

Several blatant MUTCD violations in this setup Hudson, NY

Zoom in to the pole signal if its hard to see, and pan around a bit

https://maps.app.goo.gl/obNXxuJsi37T4AKPA

Can we list them all?
- That 5 section signal that is protective permissive I guess.
- One signal per lane.

[Roadrunner75]

That last post reminds me of a story.

I was once at this intersection, 146th and Archer in Queens, NY.  It's a T-intersection where 146th ends at Archer with a stop sign.  Across the street there is a parking lot (for LIRR employees presumably) where a signal is used to control the operation of the gate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7003139,-73.8087162,3a,75y,154.75h,76.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1DrIuO6B10A9t0xzMstUxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Anyway, I'm trying to make a left turn when traffic clears.  The car in front of me won't budge.  I'm honking and she's not moving.  I go up to her and say, why don't you go traffic is clear and I want to make a left while there is still a clearance of traffic.  She refuses to go because the light is red!  I tried to explain to her that the signal does not control the intersection and that it's basically red all the time unless someone operates the gate to enter the parking lot.  She eventually got the drift, but by the time she went, I had to wait another full cycle of the next intersection's (Archer/Sutphin) signal before I could find a clearing.

This could be addressed by posting the MUTCD W3-3i "IRRELEVANT SIGNAL AHEAD" sign in advance of the intersection...

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Several blatant MUTCD violations in this setup Hudson, NY

Zoom in to the pole signal if its hard to see, and pan around a bit

https://maps.app.goo.gl/obNXxuJsi37T4AKPA

Can we list them all?
- That 5 section signal that is protective permissive I guess.
- One signal per lane.

The red ball/straight arrow thing bothers me the most. And forget about one signal per lane, they only bothered with one signal per direction!

Bonus: the right turn signal for traffic coming from the left had the bottom section (of 5) covered by a no turn on red sign

[D-Dey65]

That last post reminds me of a story.

I was once at this intersection, 146th and Archer in Queens, NY.  It's a T-intersection where 146th ends at Archer with a stop sign.  Across the street there is a parking lot (for LIRR employees presumably) where a signal is used to control the operation of the gate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7003139,-73.8087162,3a,75y,154.75h,76.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1DrIuO6B10A9t0xzMstUxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

There's no "presumably" there. That's exactly who that parking lot is for.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jamaica_LIRR_Station;_Employee_Parking_Lot-1.jpg

Zoom in on the logos of every car and SUV there.

[fwydriver405]

Several blatant MUTCD violations in this setup Hudson, NY

Zoom in to the pole signal if its hard to see, and pan around a bit

https://maps.app.goo.gl/obNXxuJsi37T4AKPA

Can we list them all?
- That 5 section signal that is protective permissive I guess.
- One signal per lane.

The red ball/straight arrow thing bothers me the most. And forget about one signal per lane, they only bothered with one signal per direction!

Bonus: the right turn signal for traffic coming from the left had the bottom section (of 5) covered by a no turn on red sign

Yellow trap by any chance? Not sure if that configuration delays the permissive left turn, or if it is a purely protected only turn.

About that NTOR sign covering the bottom section of the arrow. Is that arrow bimodal? Seems like they could have repurposed the signal into R-Y-G-YA-GA for the right turn overlap.

[ErmineNotyours]

That last post reminds me of a story.

I was once at this intersection, 146th and Archer in Queens, NY.  It's a T-intersection where 146th ends at Archer with a stop sign.  Across the street there is a parking lot (for LIRR employees presumably) where a signal is used to control the operation of the gate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7003139,-73.8087162,3a,75y,154.75h,76.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1DrIuO6B10A9t0xzMstUxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Anyway, I'm trying to make a left turn when traffic clears.  The car in front of me won't budge.  I'm honking and she's not moving.  I go up to her and say, why don't you go traffic is clear and I want to make a left while there is still a clearance of traffic.  She refuses to go because the light is red!  I tried to explain to her that the signal does not control the intersection and that it's basically red all the time unless someone operates the gate to enter the parking lot.  She eventually got the drift, but by the time she went, I had to wait another full cycle of the next intersection's (Archer/Sutphin) signal before I could find a clearing.

I see similar signals at government building parking lots in the DC area, but those are not usually places at intersections so there is little confusion for traffic on the public streets..

Went through the light here but then someone two cars in front saw the red light controlling the main road, and stopped for that.  I had to honk past the car in front and they got the message.

[jakeroot]

That last post reminds me of a story.

I was once at this intersection, 146th and Archer in Queens, NY.  It's a T-intersection where 146th ends at Archer with a stop sign.  Across the street there is a parking lot (for LIRR employees presumably) where a signal is used to control the operation of the gate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7003139,-73.8087162,3a,75y,154.75h,76.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1DrIuO6B10A9t0xzMstUxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Anyway, I'm trying to make a left turn when traffic clears.  The car in front of me won't budge.  I'm honking and she's not moving.  I go up to her and say, why don't you go traffic is clear and I want to make a left while there is still a clearance of traffic.  She refuses to go because the light is red!  I tried to explain to her that the signal does not control the intersection and that it's basically red all the time unless someone operates the gate to enter the parking lot.  She eventually got the drift, but by the time she went, I had to wait another full cycle of the next intersection's (Archer/Sutphin) signal before I could find a clearing.

I see similar signals at government building parking lots in the DC area, but those are not usually places at intersections so there is little confusion for traffic on the public streets..

Went through the light here but then someone two cars in front saw the red light controlling the main road, and stopped for that.  I had to honk past the car in front and they got the message.

Lol I go through that light all the time. I usually spy on the through traffic's signal to know when it's good to go, but never seen anyone get confused. Still, the signal placement could use some work.

[mrsman]

That last post reminds me of a story.

I was once at this intersection, 146th and Archer in Queens, NY.  It's a T-intersection where 146th ends at Archer with a stop sign.  Across the street there is a parking lot (for LIRR employees presumably) where a signal is used to control the operation of the gate.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7003139,-73.8087162,3a,75y,154.75h,76.53t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s1DrIuO6B10A9t0xzMstUxw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Anyway, I'm trying to make a left turn when traffic clears.  The car in front of me won't budge.  I'm honking and she's not moving.  I go up to her and say, why don't you go traffic is clear and I want to make a left while there is still a clearance of traffic.  She refuses to go because the light is red!  I tried to explain to her that the signal does not control the intersection and that it's basically red all the time unless someone operates the gate to enter the parking lot.  She eventually got the drift, but by the time she went, I had to wait another full cycle of the next intersection's (Archer/Sutphin) signal before I could find a clearing.

I see similar signals at government building parking lots in the DC area, but those are not usually places at intersections so there is little confusion for traffic on the public streets..

Went through the light here but then someone two cars in front saw the red light controlling the main road, and stopped for that.  I had to honk past the car in front and they got the message.

Lol I go through that light all the time. I usually spy on the through traffic's signal to know when it's good to go, but never seen anyone get confused. Still, the signal placement could use some work.

Surprised that there's so much confusion with a signal that has lovers, but it does seem that the signal faces are not properly faced.  If you're coming off the off-ramp are all the signal faces visible in your line of sight, or just the right most one?

[Because in my mind a simple fix would be to remove the right most of the signal faces there so that there is no confusion for off-ramp traffic.]

[Amtrakprod]

https://youtu.be/gmQm6G5w4bM?t=32

the timing there doesn't look so smart to me.

[SignBridge]

Love those California style traffic lights!