Traffic signals for transit only

[cpzilliacus]

Anyone seen signals like these?  They are for streetcars, light rail and (sometimes) buses. 

These are from Sweden, though I have seen them in other EU nations, but never in the U.S. or Canada. Always white in color, but the signal heads do not generally have any marking saying "transit vehicles only."

Stop:

"Prepare to stop:"

"Prepare to go:"

Go (I've also seen this one with an arrow instead of a vertical line):

[1995hoo]

I've seen some in Russia, although when I saw them I didn't necessarily realize exactly what they were for. Here's a Google Street View link to a spot I remember on Moskovsky Prospekt in St Petersburg. Notice the white rectangular sign reading "Stop" that's above that silver station wagon in the left lane. There are two small traffic signals to the left of that. They're for the trams that use those tracks in the median.

The ones I saw in Tallinn were closer to what you've posted. Here's a Street View to one example; it's a bit hard to see, but if you look to the left of the man on the rollerblades you'll see the white "S."

I may have seen something similar elsewhere, but I just don't recall. I've never been to Australia, but I hear there are a lot of trams in Melbourne and so I'd expect to see transit-only signals there.

As far as the USA and Canada go, though–I don't go to Baltimore very often, but I recall the light rail uses the streets and so I assumed there has to be some sort of signal dedicated to them. I found this Street View image from the area near the ballpark. See the two boxes up high to the left of the Holiday Inn sign. They're not for pedestrians since those are lower to the right. They're not for cars since it's a one-way street on the part behind where the camera is located. Only other possibility is for transit.

[NE2]

Orlando's bus-only lane has these, except with no "S". I think it's roughly analogous to railroad semaphores.

[cpzilliacus]

I've seen some in Russia, although when I saw them I didn't necessarily realize exactly what they were for. Here's a Google Street View link to a spot I remember on Moskovsky Prospekt in St Petersburg. Notice the white rectangular sign reading "Stop" that's above that silver station wagon in the left lane. There are two small traffic signals to the left of that. They're for the trams that use those tracks in the median.

Never been in Russia, but I see what you mean.

The ones I saw in Tallinn were closer to what you've posted. Here's a Street View to one example; it's a bit hard to see, but if you look to the left of the man on the rollerblades you'll see the white "S."

Been in Talinn (though not recently, in the 1990's, just a few years after the Soviet Union went out of business), though at the time, I do not recall seeing those signals. 

Many of the transit buses they were running in Talinn then were retired from fleets in Finland and Sweden.

I may have seen something similar elsewhere, but I just don't recall. I've never been to Australia, but I hear there are a lot of trams in Melbourne and so I'd expect to see transit-only signals there.

As far as the USA and Canada go, though–I don't go to Baltimore very often, but I recall the light rail uses the streets and so I assumed there has to be some sort of signal dedicated to them. I found this Street View image from the area near the ballpark. See the two boxes up high to the left of the Holiday Inn sign. They're not for pedestrians since those are lower to the right. They're not for cars since it's a one-way street on the part behind where the camera is located. Only other possibility is for transit.

I am  in Baltimore City somewhat frequently, and have seen those from time to time - they are indeed for the light rail. 

It's only on Howard Street where the Central Light Rail has to mix it up with street traffic for any distance.  Along other parts of the line, it's much more like a railroad operation (and the crossings have railroad-style signals and gates).

In  a perfect world, perhaps Maryland SHA would add those transit signal heads to its state MUTCD supplement?

Getting back to the other side of the pond, here is a GSV shot from the intersection of Mannerheim Way and Runeberg Street in Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland. 

It's a very busy urban intersection at peak commute times, with rubber-tired vehicles and streetcars (1 meter gauge) turning in several directions.  Note the double signal heads for transit (in this case streetcars) - one is for straight ahead, and one is to allow them to make a right.  On the other side of the intersection is a Variotram low-floor articulated unit waiting at the light.

My pride in Finland is showing (and I confess same), but the Helsingfors municipal DOT has long done a superb job of integrating the signal systems for the streetcars and rubber-tire traffic - and yes, the streetcars usually get priority treatment from the signal system software.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Baltimore, where it seems that the coordination between light rail and rubber-tire traffic has not been very good.

Across the Baltic, Sweden likes to use these same signal heads for buses as well.  At this intersection (really the end of a motorway off-ramp), the buses can continue straight back to the motorway ahead but all other traffic must turn left (through traffic is supposed to be on the E4 motorway to the left behind the hedge).

[1995hoo]

I've been to Helsinki and Stockholm, but in Stockholm we didn't see any of the transit infrastructure and in Helsinki I just don't remember noticing it, although from looking at the map I believe we probably passed through that intersection you've posted. My attention was elsewhere.

[agentsteel53]

My pride in Finland is showing (and I confess same), but the Helsingfors

your pride in Swedish-speaking Finland, no less! 

[deathtopumpkins]

Boston's Green Line uses white and red line orientation signals for the at-grade intersections.
Don't know the official name for these but that's how I would describe them.

[cpzilliacus]

My pride in Finland is showing (and I confess same), but the Helsingfors

your pride in Swedish-speaking Finland, no less! 

Correct.

Though I did translate the street names to proper English. 

[cpzilliacus]

I've been to Helsinki and Stockholm, but in Stockholm we didn't see any of the transit infrastructure and in Helsinki I just don't remember noticing it, although from looking at the map I believe we probably passed through that intersection you've posted. My attention was elsewhere.

Both cities have very well-developed transit systems.  Helsinki has but one Metro(rail) line, but many streetcar (tram) lines that serve mostly the core part of the region.  Longer-haul transit is by regional (commuter) rail, somewhat like the network run by SEPTA, and, of course, by bus (including some right-side bus-only lanes on motorways).  From a highway perspective, the Helsinki region has two 180° circumferential highways (Ring I and Ring III, Kehä I and Kehä III in Finnish) (they only go about 180 degrees around because of the coastal nature of the region).  Ring I would be considered an expressway under U.S. functional classification, and most of Ring III was originally built as a two-lane highway with partial access control, but is being converted to a freeway most of the way (there's a rural segment at the west end of Ring III that remains a "Super 2").  Where's Ring II, you ask?  A short segment of Ring II is open to traffic as a "Super 2" (including a long bored tunnel section to avoid disturbing parkland), but most of the rest is still in planning.  In general, Finland's highway engineers seem to like "Super-2" highways, though a relative of mine was badly injured in a head-on wreck on  a rural Super-2 many years ago (he survived and recovered).

Stockholm has a remarkably large Metro (Tunnelbana in Swedish) system, and the Blue Line is worth a half-day visit, as it has rightly been called the "longest art museum in the world."  As an aside, the Blue Line also serves the suburban "Smart Growth disasters" known as Rinkeby and Tensta, which are also worth a visit (in the daytime).  I will describe Rinkeby and Tensta in more detail offline if you are interested.  Stockholm also has regional rail, which runs far beyond the corporate limits of the city (some have called it "sprawl-inducing," which it probably is).  There are only a few suburban streetcar lines (all of the ones in the core area were shut-down prior to the conversion to right-hand traffic in 1967, though there has been some discussion about bringing streetcar service back to some urban corridors in Stockholm).  There's also some interesting highway infrastructure to look at, including underground motorways (one complete, one under construction, two are in design).

[agentsteel53]

I will describe Rinkeby and Tensta in more detail offline if you are interested.

or just do it here... we could probably spawn off a discussion of Stockholm into some other topic.

I had to look up Helsingfors - I had no idea that was the official name for the city in Swedish.  I've never been to that part of Finland; just the extreme north.

[Ian]

The city of Camden likes to use these for the NJ Transit River Line trolley that runs through the city. They basically operate with the traffic signals; vertical line being go, diagonal line being the yellow light, and the horizontal line being stop.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Montreal has some street signals with an additional vertical white bar unit that lights up before the green phase to let buses through so they can safely merge back after having served a stop.

[PHLBOS]

Orlando's bus-only lane has these, except with no "S". I think it's roughly analogous to railroad semaphores.

In the Philly area, those signals (sans the "S") are along several SEPTA trolley lines.

[cpzilliacus]

Orlando's bus-only lane has these, except with no "S". I think it's roughly analogous to railroad semaphores.

In the Philly area, those signals (sans the "S") are along several SEPTA trolley lines.

Strangely, I have ridden the streetcars in Philly, but not noticed those. Almost ashamed to say I missed them!

I will have to look more closely the next time I am there.

[myosh_tino]

If I recall correctly, the VTA Light Rail system's signals are (from top to bottom) a red horizontal bar, white triangle and a white vertical bar (or angled if it's a "turn" signal).

Oddly enough when the light rail system opened, the signals for the light rail trains were red, yellow and green "T" symbols.  Unfortunately (and I am NOT making this up), drivers, who were obviously unfamiliar with these signals, interpreted the light rail signals as left-turn signals ("T" means "turn"!  ) and were making left turns in front of the light rail trains.  The VTA changed the color of the bottom signal from green to white as a temporary fix before installing the signals I described above.

[1995hoo]

The DC Metrorail, which does not have any at-grade crossings, uses red and white to mean "stop" and "go." I recall reading somewhere that red and white are standard colors in railroad operations, although I've never bothered to verify this through any research.

[kj3400]

The city of Camden likes to use these for the NJ Transit River Line trolley that runs through the city. They basically operate with the traffic signals; vertical line being go, diagonal line being the yellow light, and the horizontal line being stop.

Baltimore does the same, only with two boxes. 

[Ian]

The city of Camden likes to use these for the NJ Transit River Line trolley that runs through the city. They basically operate with the traffic signals; vertical line being go, diagonal line being the yellow light, and the horizontal line being stop.

Baltimore does the same, only with two boxes. 

And interestingly enough, both the Baltimore and Camden examples are basically retrofitted pedestrian signals.

[cpzilliacus]

The DC Metrorail, which does not have any at-grade crossings, uses red and white to mean "stop" and "go." I recall reading somewhere that red and white are standard colors in railroad operations, although I've never bothered to verify this through any research.

There are red, amber and green signal aspects in the signals used by Amtrak, CSX (N.E. Corridor) and NS (I am not enough of a rail geek to explain their meaning).

In the Washington Metrorail system, I know that white means go, and is called a "lunar" aspect.  Never did understand why WMATA uses white and not green for go (or proceed).

[Zmapper]

Perhaps colorblindness could have been a reason?

[kj3400]

The DC Metrorail, which does not have any at-grade crossings, uses red and white to mean "stop" and "go." I recall reading somewhere that red and white are standard colors in railroad operations, although I've never bothered to verify this through any research.

There are red, amber and green signal aspects in the signals used by Amtrak, CSX (N.E. Corridor) and NS (I am not enough of a rail geek to explain their meaning).

In the Washington Metrorail system, I know that white means go, and is called a "lunar" aspect.  Never did understand why WMATA uses white and not green for go (or proceed).

Actually, the Baltimore Metro uses white for go too. But their signals are only used at crossovers. And there's two reds for some reason. And it's always set on 'go.'

[PHLBOS]

Orlando's bus-only lane has these, except with no "S". I think it's roughly analogous to railroad semaphores.

In the Philly area, those signals (sans the "S") are along several SEPTA trolley lines.

Strangely, I have ridden the streetcars in Philly, but not noticed those. Almost ashamed to say I missed them!

I will have to look more closely the next time I am there.

I said Philly area, which doesn't necessarily include the city itself.  More specifically, the SEPTA Route 101 & 102 trolleys in Delaware County that run from the 69th St. Terminal in Upper Darby to Media (Route 101) and Sharon Hill (Route 102) have those type of signals at many street crossings.

The only reason why I wasn't more location-specific before was in case there were similar signals existed on other SEPTA trolley lines in the City of Philadlephia itself that I wasn't aware of.

[6a]

I've seen something like that (meaning white signals) in Cleveland and San Francisco.  I seem to remember a triangle for one of the phases, though.  Now that I think about it, Charlotte has (had?) a bus lane down the middle of Independence Blvd that had one of those signals at its end (Albemarle or Sharon Amity, can't remember which one.)  I've only ever seen it when the line is in the middle of the road, though.

[cpzilliacus]

I will describe Rinkeby and Tensta in more detail offline if you are interested.

or just do it here... we could probably spawn off a discussion of Stockholm into some other topic.

I had to look up Helsingfors - I had no idea that was the official name for the city in Swedish.  I've never been to that part of Finland; just the extreme north.

The name Helsingfors likely pre-dates Helsinki (many place names in Finnish in some parts of Finland are adapted from the Swedish). I make that assertion only because the name was established while Finland was part of the Swedish empire (as it was up to 1809).

[Duke87]

Saw them in Las Vegas (of all places) for a bus lane. Just LRT signals according to the latest MUTCD, no big deal...

Obviously they want to differentiate them from traffic signals so cars don't obey them and so buses/trams know to not obey the "normal" lights.

In the cases of heavy rail systems, naturally, traditional signals are used. Red, yellow, and green mean pretty much exactly what you'd expect, though it gets more complicated when you have switches.