Flashing traffic signals

[cpzilliacus]

Given the new-found environmentalism of our society, and the high cost of electricity - I'm surprised the U.S. hasn't followed the lead of Europe and just turn the lights off at night (with a priority sign/stop sign to dictate who has right-of-way).

I also noticed many pedestrian signals were normally off until activated by a pedestrian.

Finland and Sweden like to put the signals on flash, and I have frequently seem them flashing amber in all directions, even at urban intersections.

[agentsteel53]

I looked on street view and Westen Europe didn't have the right-of-way signs at intersections. How will the drivers know if they can go if Western Europe turns off their traffic lights at light?

devolve to priority to the right?  I'd imagine that the traffic levels are so low that that works well.

[MASTERNC]

There used to be a few lights in Radnor Township (oddly, at the I-476 interchange with US 30) that flashed after midnight.  They no longer do, probably because PennDOT does not allow for flashing left turn signals (they turn off completely when the thru lights flash)

[roadman65]

Orange County, FL does them only for 3 hours from 2 AM to 5 AM around the Florida Mall.  I have no idea why they do not do it on weekends though.  It used to be more traffic lights along Orange Blossom Trail from Sky Lake to Hunters Creek, but since the highway was widened a few years back new signals with new timings are used and no longer flash during the wee hours.

There are many lights in Orlando area that could flash but do not and there are plenty that are around that should not be even be around in the first place.  I think we have a better chance for world peace then for traffic engineers to come to their senses and learn how to properly program traffic signals.

I once lived in New Jersey and back when GM had a plant in Linden, NJ, a gate would be closed at night at one intersection along US 1 & US 9.  You would figure that being the gate allows no side traffic to mess with US 1 & 9, that it should go to flash mode, but even when the highway was being repaved and all the detector loops were inoperative where it would default to timer, I waited a short time at the GM Plant signal for a green light given to a closed road.  That there is common sense to whomever set the timings.

[kj3400]

Why is it that texas seems to be the only state that actually sees that theres hardly any traffic at night, and programs the majority of their traffic lights to change to flashing mode?

Maryland (outside of some municipalities - most of the state's land area is not incorporated) puts many of its signals on flash, usually from midnight to 0530.

While Baltimore will keep all its signals on. Annoying, especially considering a good majority of them are timed.