Traffic signal

[EpicRoadways]

Found something interesting in Blaine, MN. Here's a signal installation that uses the classic green base/yellow pole/vertical truss arms scheme that characterized older MN masts; however, this installation came in around 2018.

For those who don't know, here's a typical newer all-gray MN mast arm, located just a block away.

That first example is an Anoka County install. The second one is a MNDOT install. Anoka County still paints their new signals in the "old" Minnesota style. There are a few other agencies around the state that do the same as well, although most have stopped painting their signals in favor of the unpainted mast like you linked below.

[ErmineNotyours]

Mast arm attached to concrete 294 underpass near O'Hare.

Any other installs like this?

Elliot & Galer, Seattle

[roadfro]

Found something interesting in Blaine, MN. Here's a signal installation that uses the classic green base/yellow pole/vertical truss arms scheme that characterized older MN masts; however, this installation came in around 2018.

For those who don't know, here's a typical newer all-gray MN mast arm, located just a block away.

Interesting. I haven't seen too many instances of signal mast poles painted like this before.

In the Las Vegas area, it used to be common for the bottom half of signal masts and the entirety of any freestanding poles for signal/pedestrian to be painted yellow. There are examples from every jurisdiction around the valley, including on the Strip–and this also extended to other traffic control installations such as overhead school zone flashers. However, this practice was abandoned in the mid-1990's, likely because the entities didn't want the maintenance cost of repainting poles every so often for what's likely a negligible safety benefit. New installations and one-off pole replacements since then are now bare steel, except some installations have the entire signal structure painted one color (often black or tan) as part of specific area aesthetic treatments. (It must have been a Vegas-area entity practice because, excepting aesthetic treatments, I cannot recall having seen painted traffic signal poles anywhere else in Nevada outside of Clark County.)

[EpicRoadways]

Here's a really cool extended one-lane road control signal at a park in my area that also serves a boat launch. I had no idea this park (much less this wonky signal setup) even existed until last summer despite having lived nearby my entire life. Of note are not just the signals themselves at the point where the road narrows, but also a series of LED reassurance arrows that run along the road every few hundred feet. Also interesting is that despite the fact that there is a bike path present (on the far left side of the barriers in the first GSV photo) there are no indicators for bicyclists crossing the road a few hundred feet ahead of the initial lane drop to determine which direction traffic is flowing, just stop signs.

[STLmapboy]

Here's a really cool extended one-lane road control signal at a park in my area that also serves a boat launch. I had no idea this park (much less this wonky signal setup) even existed until last summer despite having lived nearby my entire life. Of note are not just the signals themselves at the point where the road narrows, but also a series of LED reassurance arrows that run along the road every few hundred feet. Also interesting is that despite the fact that there is a bike path present (on the far left side of the barriers in the first GSV photo) there are no indicators for bicyclists crossing the road a few hundred feet ahead of the initial lane drop to determine which direction traffic is flowing, just stop signs.

That is really cool!

[roadfro]

Here's a really cool extended one-lane road control signal at a park in my area that also serves a boat launch. I had no idea this park (much less this wonky signal setup) even existed until last summer despite having lived nearby my entire life. Of note are not just the signals themselves at the point where the road narrows, but also a series of LED reassurance arrows that run along the road every few hundred feet. Also interesting is that despite the fact that there is a bike path present (on the far left side of the barriers in the first GSV photo) there are no indicators for bicyclists crossing the road a few hundred feet ahead of the initial lane drop to determine which direction traffic is flowing, just stop signs.

That's a really cool setup! I've never seen something like that before. Great way to deal with a one-lane road with no visibility to the other end.

[EpicRoadways]

Bay City, Texas has some horizontal pole mounted signals such as this one...
SH 35 @ SH 60

Not sure how common these are. I've only seen them in Bay City.

Am I missing something? All I see are horizontal lights on wires, which are very common throughout Texas (at least in the area between Houston and Dallas)

Sorry for the bump, but by pure chance I happened to come across a legitimate pole-mounted horizontal signal in Texas. It's a little strange looking, but I guess whatever works.

[jakeroot]

Bay City, Texas has some horizontal pole mounted signals such as this one...
SH 35 @ SH 60

Not sure how common these are. I've only seen them in Bay City.

Am I missing something? All I see are horizontal lights on wires, which are very common throughout Texas (at least in the area between Houston and Dallas)

Sorry for the bump, but by pure chance I happened to come across a legitimate pole-mounted horizontal signal in Texas. It's a little strange looking, but I guess whatever works.

What a bizarre intersection. First, you have a couple of pole-mounted signals for the southbound movement, and a couple others for pedestrians. Bit later, the northbound signals are replaced with entirely pole-mounted signals. Shortly after, the left-most pole-mounted signal for the southbound movement is replaced with a black signal. Bit later still, that signal is moved up and then mounted horizontally (huh!?), and then replaced itself by a yellow signal. All the while, the northbound right-most pole-mounted signal is initially installed vertically, before being placed horizontally, and then around the time the other pole-mounted signal was mounted horizontally, it was then rotated to be vertical again. WTF...they seem to change the intersection for fun every year or so.

[bwana39]

Who needs yellow?

I couldn't see where this was ever solved. Are there some reversing lines here? The reversed lanes would be green while open and a RED X when reversed toward you.  This was the setup in Arlington TX for use after Rangers games. Not sure if it still is or not.

[fwydriver405]

Who needs yellow?

I couldn't see where this was ever solved. Are there some reversing lines here? The reversed lanes would be green while open and a RED X when reversed toward you.  This was the setup in Arlington TX for use after Rangers games. Not sure if it still is or not.

No, IIRC, the signal configuration was:

Y        Y         Y        Y
G       G         G       G
YA
GA

I think the "Y" section (top section) flashes circular yellow for when the signal goes into flash mode and I believe this is a T intersection with protected/permissive left turns. This is the intersection in question...

The side driveway is not controlled by a light, rather, a YIELD sign instead (EDIT: it was formerly controlled by signals pre-2010's).

[bwana39]

Who needs yellow?

I couldn't see where this was ever solved. Are there some reversing lines here? The reversed lanes would be green while open and a RED X when reversed toward you.  This was the setup in Arlington TX for use after Rangers games. Not sure if it still is or not.

No, IIRC, the signal configuration was:

Y        Y         Y        Y
G       G         G       G
YA
GA

I think the "Y" section (top section) flashes circular yellow for when the signal goes into flash mode and I believe this is a T intersection with protected/permissive left turns. This is the intersection in question...

The side driveway is not controlled by a light, rather, a YIELD sign instead (EDIT: it was formerly controlled by signals pre-2010's).

I believe you would be right. The GSV is a much better view and you are familiar with the region.

[plain]

Who needs yellow?

I couldn't see where this was ever solved. Are there some reversing lines here? The reversed lanes would be green while open and a RED X when reversed toward you.  This was the setup in Arlington TX for use after Rangers games. Not sure if it still is or not.

No, IIRC, the signal configuration was:

Y        Y         Y        Y
G       G         G       G
YA
GA

I think the "Y" section (top section) flashes circular yellow for when the signal goes into flash mode and I believe this is a T intersection with protected/permissive left turns. This is the intersection in question...

The side driveway is not controlled by a light, rather, a YIELD sign instead (EDIT: it was formerly controlled by signals pre-2010's).

I believe you would be right. The GSV is a much better view and you are familiar with the region.

This is indeed correct. This setup was pretty common where the side street was a right turn only onto the main road. This signal is on US 360 just inside Richmond city limits, though I believe it's a leftover VDOT installation. This area was transitioning at the time because it was part of Chesterfield County before the city annexed it in 1970

[fwydriver405]

Who needs yellow?

I couldn't see where this was ever solved. Are there some reversing lines here? The reversed lanes would be green while open and a RED X when reversed toward you.  This was the setup in Arlington TX for use after Rangers games. Not sure if it still is or not.

No, IIRC, the signal configuration was:

Y        Y         Y        Y
G       G         G       G
YA
GA

I think the "Y" section (top section) flashes circular yellow for when the signal goes into flash mode and I believe this is a T intersection with protected/permissive left turns. This is the intersection in question...

The side driveway is not controlled by a light, rather, a YIELD sign instead (EDIT: it was formerly controlled by signals pre-2010's).

I believe you would be right. The GSV is a much better view and you are familiar with the region.

This is indeed correct. This setup was pretty common where the side street was a right turn only onto the main road. This signal is on US 360 just inside Richmond city limits, though I believe it's a leftover VDOT installation. This area was transitioning at the time because it was part of Chesterfield County before the city annexed it in 1970

Two questions to ask about this signal:
1. If this signal is upgraded for some reason... could you just get away with just installing a 3-section protected-only or 4-section FYA head for the left turns only?
2. Why were the signals on the side street removed? Wouldn't that make this signal a half signal or something like that?

[plain]

Who needs yellow?

I couldn't see where this was ever solved. Are there some reversing lines here? The reversed lanes would be green while open and a RED X when reversed toward you.  This was the setup in Arlington TX for use after Rangers games. Not sure if it still is or not.

No, IIRC, the signal configuration was:

Y        Y         Y        Y
G       G         G       G
YA
GA

I think the "Y" section (top section) flashes circular yellow for when the signal goes into flash mode and I believe this is a T intersection with protected/permissive left turns. This is the intersection in question...

The side driveway is not controlled by a light, rather, a YIELD sign instead (EDIT: it was formerly controlled by signals pre-2010's).

I believe you would be right. The GSV is a much better view and you are familiar with the region.

This is indeed correct. This setup was pretty common where the side street was a right turn only onto the main road. This signal is on US 360 just inside Richmond city limits, though I believe it's a leftover VDOT installation. This area was transitioning at the time because it was part of Chesterfield County before the city annexed it in 1970

Two questions to ask about this signal:
1. If this signal is upgraded for some reason... could you just get away with just installing a 3-section protected-only or 4-section FYA head for the left turns only?
2. Why were the signals on the side street removed? Wouldn't that make this signal a half signal or something like that?

1. Yes.

2. I have no clue, but the city did put up a YIELD sign there.

[SkyPesos]

With SPUI interchanges above the freeway, the vast majority of the non-wires signal layout are a long gantry or mast arm spanning the entire center of the intersection. I found this unique signal layout on the I-270 and MO 340 interchange with the mast arm supports in the median of the arterial (i'll let the GSV describe the rest for itself), and a similar one at I-55 and US 50/61/67. There's also 2 examples on MO 141 with the mast arm support on one of the triangle gores at MO 340 and Ladue. How many more unique SPUI signal layouts are there?

[STLmapboy]

With SPUI interchanges above the freeway, the vast majority of the non-wires signal layout are a long gantry or mast arm spanning the entire center of the intersection. I found this unique signal layout on the I-270 and MO 340 interchange with the mast arm supports in the median of the arterial (i'll let the GSV describe the rest for itself), and a similar one at I-55 and US 50/61/67. There's also 2 examples on MO 141 with the mast arm support on one of the triangle gores at MO 340 and Ladue. How many more unique SPUI signal layouts are there?

Maybe it's because I go through these intersections almost every day, but I've never noticed anything odd about them.

[SkyPesos]

With SPUI interchanges above the freeway, the vast majority of the non-wires signal layout are a long gantry or mast arm spanning the entire center of the intersection. I found this unique signal layout on the I-270 and MO 340 interchange with the mast arm supports in the median of the arterial (i'll let the GSV describe the rest for itself), and a similar one at I-55 and US 50/61/67. There's also 2 examples on MO 141 with the mast arm support on one of the triangle gores at MO 340 and Ladue. How many more unique SPUI signal layouts are there?

Maybe it's because I go through these intersections almost every day, but I've never noticed anything odd about them.

I used to go through the MO 340 and 141 interchange at least twice a week, so I were used to their layouts until I saw a lot of other SPUIs with a long mast arm or truss gantry spanning the center of the intersection, instead of having 2 mast arms at 2 locations in the intersection as what I posted above. But here are some examples for what I mean by normal signal layouts.

[Scott5114]

I kind of like the Missouri approach better. Here we use full-on monotube gantries for the signals, which are beefy enough that you can see them from literally a mile away.

[jakeroot]

I've seen regular mast arms in Edmonton, Alberta. The older SPUIs along the Yellowhead Hwy: https://goo.gl/maps/oQpHV6H1f44fuBWq8

[US71]

I've seen regular mast arms in Edmonton, Alberta. The older SPUIs along the Yellowhead Hwy: https://goo.gl/maps/oQpHV6H1f44fuBWq8

Do all the EXIT signs look like they've been sawed off?

[jakeroot]

I've seen regular mast arms in Edmonton, Alberta. The older SPUIs along the Yellowhead Hwy: https://goo.gl/maps/oQpHV6H1f44fuBWq8

Do all the EXIT signs look like they've been sawed off?

Yeah, that's an Alberta thing. Another example, and another from Calgary.

[SignBridge]

Years ago New Jersey's Garden State Pkwy. had exit gore signs similar to those.

[SkyPesos]

Found another SPUI without a single long mast arm in the center of the interchange at I-215 and Windmill in Vegas. This one has a mast arm on each triangle gore, which is a bit excessive imo.

[STLmapboy]

Found another SPUI without a single long mast arm in the center of the interchange at I-215 and Windmill in Vegas. This one has a mast arm on each triangle gore, which is a bit excessive imo.

The DO NOT ENTER on the street sign is a nice touch.

[US 89]

Utah has 11 freeway-under SPUIs. All but one take the "let's put all the lights on one massive monotube in the middle"  approach. The only one that doesn't is the newest one on Bangerter at 114th South, and it is fascinating because it's actually possible for thru traffic on 114th to not realize they're driving through an interchange if they aren't paying attention. It's damn near impossible to miss the interchange on all the others.

There is a bit of variation in how the monotube design is executed. Usually, it's mounted directly across the cross street, as in this example. But sometimes in particularly large SPUIs, it's installed at an angle - for example, at the I-15 and University Parkway interchange.