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Question on railroad CTC signaling.

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 9:50 PM

Overmod
 
BaltACD
Man made signal problem that has no reason to be. 

It is there out of expedience.  We have some whoppers like it here.  The idea is that you can prevent the 'go faster to beat the green arrow' problem by having the arrow go all the way to red (and be enforced by cameras or cops) for a moment even though it'll go to green again just a moment later. 

Especially fun when highway bubbas install it at an intersection where long familiarity with the timing of green arrows and lights is established.  Almost as evil as shortening the yellow when the red-light camera scam is implemented...

No camera involved - just bent sheetmetal and broken glass.

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Posted by CMStPnP on Thursday, November 1, 2018 10:05 PM

Overmod
Almost as evil as shortening the yellow when the red-light camera scam is implemented...

I thought the road laws state that your OK with the red light if your in the second half of the intersection when the light changes to red.    They have a 10-15 second time delay after the light turns red before the cross traffic light turns green usually to cover this.   

Thankfully we don't use the European system where the yellow light comes on after the red to inform folks the light is about to turn green as a "get ready" signal.  I understand why they use that in Europe, I just think it is a little obnoxious.

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Posted by oltmannd on Thursday, November 1, 2018 10:45 PM

zugmann

 

 
BaltACD
Man made signal problem that has no reason to be.

 

Anyone else besides Maryland use the flashing red arrow?  PennDOT in PA has been addign a lot of the yellwo falshing arrows this year.  Also even adding solid red arrows, which until this year, have been rare in PA.

 

Yes. Lots and lots in GA. Have seen quite a few in OR as well

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by tree68 on Thursday, November 1, 2018 11:27 PM

zugmann
Anyone else besides Maryland use the flashing red arrow?  PennDOT in PA has been addign a lot of the yellwo falshing arrows this year.  Also even adding solid red arrows, which until this year, have been rare in PA.

An intersection in my old hometown in MI had one for years - until the right on red laws made it unnecessary.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Semper Vaporo on Thursday, November 1, 2018 11:40 PM

CMStPnP
Overmod
Almost as evil as shortening the yellow when the red-light camera scam is implemented... 

I thought the road laws state that your OK with the red light if your in the second half of the intersection when the light changes to red.    They have a 10-15 second time delay after the light turns red before the cross traffic light turns green usually to cover this.   

Thankfully we don't use the European system where the yellow light comes on after the red to inform folks the light is about to turn green as a "get ready" signal.  I understand why they use that in Europe, I just think it is a little obnoxious.

 

When I was a kid, I saw traffic lights that turned yellow before turning green.  I remember when they were changed to not do that... my dad said it caused drivers to 'jump-the-gun' and enter the intersection before it was safe and caused too many accidents.  Others said it tended to induce drag racing.

I have never seen a delay between the light turning red for one route and the light turning green for the other.  The yellow signal between green and red is for traffic to clear the intersection (especially left turns) before the other route can go.  When the light turns red, the other route gets a green right a way.  Technically, you are not allowed to enter the intersection on the yellow, you are only allowed to proceed if you are already in the intersection when it turns yellow.

 

oltmannd
 
zugmann

       BaltACD

Man made signal problem that has no reason to be.

Yes. Lots and lots in GA. Have seen quite a few in OR as well

 

We have those in Iowa now, too.

 

Semper Vaporo

Pkgs.

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, November 2, 2018 6:40 AM

Semper Vaporo
When I was a kid, I saw traffic lights that turned yellow before turning green.  I remember when they were changed to not do that... my dad said it caused drivers to 'jump-the-gun' and enter the intersection before it was safe and caused too many accidents.  Others said it tended to induce drag racing.

I've always heard that it was a problem between the folks trying to beat the light before it turned red (which they still do), and the folks trying to get a jump on things, as you say.  Regardless, made for some 'interesting' meetings at ground zero.

As for going through on a yellow, I heard that if you don't have to accelerate to get through, you're OK.

LarryWhistling
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Posted by Deggesty on Friday, November 2, 2018 7:55 AM

I have not noticed any flashing red arrows here, but there is a delay after the lights for one direction turn red before the lights turn green for the cross traffic.There are flashing yellow arrows on some streets.  

One bothersome event is that on some streets traffic from one direction may make a left turn before the green light comes on--and traffic from the other direction may make a left turn after the green light goes off.

Johnny

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, November 2, 2018 12:08 PM

tree68
As for going through on a yellow, I heard that if you don't have to accelerate to get through, you're OK.

Now it's common for about a dozen cars to go rhtough yellow, and at least 2 or 3 to go through a solid red. 

It's why I put dashcams in my trucks.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, November 2, 2018 3:21 PM

Just checked the latest GA driver's manual dated July 1, 2018.  It has the flashing yellow that states turn when way clear.  However it did not have the solid red arrow listed. That immediately caused me to ask driver's section why ?  Was questioned as to my action said it meat no turn or direction of arrow on red,    After they could not find it in the book a note of embassasment was noted.  

Yes we do have a lot of the red arrows now around here at intersections that have complicated oncoming traffic that turns left toward your car.                                                                                       

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Posted by SD70Dude on Saturday, November 3, 2018 6:24 PM

tree68
Semper Vaporo
When I was a kid, I saw traffic lights that turned yellow before turning green.  I remember when they were changed to not do that... my dad said it caused drivers to 'jump-the-gun' and enter the intersection before it was safe and caused too many accidents.  Others said it tended to induce drag racing.

I've always heard that it was a problem between the folks trying to beat the light before it turned red (which they still do), and the folks trying to get a jump on things, as you say.  Regardless, made for some 'interesting' meetings at ground zero.

As for going through on a yellow, I heard that if you don't have to accelerate to get through, you're OK.

In Canada a yellow traffic light is legally the same as a green, the yellow is only for advance warning. 

If you enter the intersection while the light is yellow you are in the right, even if it changes to red before you finish clearing the intersection. 

A flashing yellow traffic light (not to be confused with tow trucks or construction markers) means you have the right-of-way at an intersection.  A flashing red light is a stop sign, and if both directions are flashing red then the intersection is a 4-way stop.

Greetings from Alberta

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Posted by Euclid on Saturday, November 3, 2018 7:28 PM

SD70Dude
In Canada a yellow traffic light is legally the same as a green, the yellow is only for advance warning. If you enter the intersection while the light is yellow you are in the right, even if it changes to red before you finish clearing the intersection.

That is the way the law is in Minnesota too.  You can enter the intersetion on yellow, but not on red.  And if you think entering on yellow is going to be too close, you can speed up, but only if you stay within the speed limit.

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, November 3, 2018 7:30 PM

tree68
As for going through on a yellow, I heard that if you don't have to accelerate to get through, you're OK.

When I was learning to drive in New Jersey and New York (City and state), and in both Louisiana and Tennessee, the rule is that a vehicle physically in the intersection when the light turns red, even by inches, has the right of way.  As such, accelerating on yellow isn't illegal, although it could open you to charges of careless or reckless driving if you mistime the action even slightly or otherwise attract the wrong sort of attention from the police.

In Pennsylvania, on the other hand, yellow is 'conditional red' and no matter how long you know the interval to be, you need to make efforts to stop for it.

Amusingly, in the New York of my childhood, long before I was concerned with driving laws, the traffic lights only had red and green aspects.  Both would come on together for a few seconds to show that the light was about to change.  Presumably this counted as 'green' up to the moment the green light went out.

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Posted by jeffhergert on Saturday, November 3, 2018 7:45 PM

Then there's the way George Carlin's brother drives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_BtPZRbZxY

Jeff

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Posted by Deggesty on Saturday, November 3, 2018 8:42 PM

Overmod

 

 
tree68
As for going through on a yellow, I heard that if you don't have to accelerate to get through, you're OK.

 

When I was learning to drive in New Jersey and New York (City and state), and in both Louisiana and Tennessee, the rule is that a vehicle physically in the intersection when the light turns red, even by inches, has the right of way.  As such, accelerating on yellow isn't illegal, although it could open you to charges of careless or reckless driving if you mistime the action even slightly or otherwise attract the wrong sort of attention from the police.

In Pennsylvania, on the other hand, yellow is 'conditional red' and no matter how long you know the interval to be, you need to make efforts to stop for it.

Amusingly, in the New York of my childhood, long before I was concerned with driving laws, the traffic lights only had red and green aspects.  Both would come on together for a few seconds to show that the light was about to change.  Presumably this counted as 'green' up to the moment the green light went out.

 

When I was growing up, Kershaw, S.C. had the two-light signals--perhaps with one bulb on each level which showed red in two directions and green in two directions. When I lived in Reform, Alabama, 1965-74, two lights on town streets were that style, but the light on the highway was a standard three-light signal.

Johnny

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Posted by Overmod on Saturday, November 3, 2018 11:26 PM

Electroliner 1935
For more on signals; see the rule book.

Newer 11th edition (February 2018) here:

http://www.cottonvalley.org/safety/NORAC-11-02-01-18.pdf

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