Do you trust traffic lights?

[CTRider]

It's funny about yellow lights, but I'm certain that around here they get shorter whenever they upgrade the units. Plus, where I used to see well over a 1 second "all red", I'm seeing a second (maybe less) now. Green arrows are getting shorter, too, meaning if four cars are in a turn lane, only 2 get through by the time the yellow arrow comes on and at least one car is running the red. Even worse, "green yield" for a left turn lane is going away, meaning people are more likely to continue into an intersection well past the red arrow coming on or be trapped for a long cycle.

I'm certainly not defending running red lights, but it seems like it's getting harder to stop for them - even running exactly the speed limit. Perhaps that little Honda Civic can stop within the maximum time you have between yellow and red, but I know my F150 is tough to stop comfortably with some lights. Sure I can stop, but braking pretty hard to do it. I'm not sure that's very safe.

The above doesn't even take into account that most of the drivers out there are at least 5-7MPH over the limit. While certainly they shouldn't be, the fact is, they are. I'm not sure the engineers are taking that into account all the time.

Also, some roads lend themselves to more speeding. For example, we have a wide open 4 lane road (two lanes each direction with guarded left turn lanes). The speed limit is 40MPH. Now, years ago, there were a lot more unguarded driveway and road entrances. However, most of those businesses have become professional offices, storage places and other types of businesses that don't have as much continuous traffic throughout the day. In addition, there are several that are empty. Many of the entrances and exits to them have been removed and reduced to a single traffic light controlled one. Yet the speed limit is still 40MPH while traffic hits 50-55 on a regular basis. Worse, while road is 40MPH, there is a parallel street which is a single lane in each direction, stop signs, plenty of side streets off it, limited sight distance in some places and residential homes along it. Speed limit? 35MPH. How is it this wide open road with mostly guarded intersections is only 5MPH faster?

Another trend I hate in traffic lights is the big pole that is mounted at the opposite side of the intersection. Why? Because people can plainly see when the light for the cross traffic is changing - even during the day. I've seen people pull out as soon as the light for the cross traffic turns red, not even waiting for their green. Plus, having the light that far out allows people in left turn lanes to stop well ahead of the stop line, making it hard for large vehicles to turn left onto that street due to how tight some of these New England roads are.

Again, I'm not endorsing running a red light or other similar things, but traffic engineers these days seem dead set on making it easy (or desirable) to do.

[Bob Mitchell]

I can show you 100 stop lights within 10 mile radius of Lexington ..............

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I see you're from the Lexington area. I've been looking for a group to ride with. I'll check out the riders group in your link. If you've got any other info you could add please PM or email me.

Thanks,

[Bob Myers]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but I see you're from the Lexington area. I've been looking for a group to ride with. I'll check out the riders group in your link. If you've got any other info you could add please PM or email me.

Thanks,

Yes, please do!

[bross]

It's funny about yellow lights, but I'm certain that around here they get shorter whenever they upgrade the units. Plus, where I used to see well over a 1 second "all red", I'm seeing a second (maybe less) now. Green arrows are getting shorter, too, meaning if four cars are in a turn lane, only 2 get through by the time the yellow arrow comes on and at least one car is running the red. Even worse, "green yield" for a left turn lane is going away, meaning people are more likely to continue into an intersection well past the red arrow coming on or be trapped for a long cycle.

I'm certainly not defending running red lights, but it seems like it's getting harder to stop for them - even running exactly the speed limit. Perhaps that little Honda Civic can stop within the maximum time you have between yellow and red, but I know my F150 is tough to stop comfortably with some lights. Sure I can stop, but braking pretty hard to do it. I'm not sure that's very safe.

The above doesn't even take into account that most of the drivers out there are at least 5-7MPH over the limit. While certainly they shouldn't be, the fact is, they are. I'm not sure the engineers are taking that into account all the time.

Also, some roads lend themselves to more speeding. For example, we have a wide open 4 lane road (two lanes each direction with guarded left turn lanes). The speed limit is 40MPH. Now, years ago, there were a lot more unguarded driveway and road entrances. However, most of those businesses have become professional offices, storage places and other types of businesses that don't have as much continuous traffic throughout the day. In addition, there are several that are empty. Many of the entrances and exits to them have been removed and reduced to a single traffic light controlled one. Yet the speed limit is still 40MPH while traffic hits 50-55 on a regular basis. Worse, while road is 40MPH, there is a parallel street which is a single lane in each direction, stop signs, plenty of side streets off it, limited sight distance in some places and residential homes along it. Speed limit? 35MPH. How is it this wide open road with mostly guarded intersections is only 5MPH faster?

Another trend I hate in traffic lights is the big pole that is mounted at the opposite side of the intersection. Why? Because people can plainly see when the light for the cross traffic is changing - even during the day. I've seen people pull out as soon as the light for the cross traffic turns red, not even waiting for their green. Plus, having the light that far out allows people in left turn lanes to stop well ahead of the stop line, making it hard for large vehicles to turn left onto that street due to how tight some of these New England roads are.

Again, I'm not endorsing running a red light or other similar things, but traffic engineers these days seem dead set on making it easy (or desirable) to do.

Not sure how many of you have red light cameras, but more and more cities are banning them because they are actually seeing an INCREASE in accidents at intersections with them installed. Mainly now rear end collisions as people are paranoid about getting a ticket for running a red so slam on their brakes irregardless of who or what is behind them.

It's also been brought to light (pun intended) that whenever the red light cameras are installed the companies who install them, and generate revenue from the cameras, sometimes insist on traffic engineers shortening the yellow times, thereby creating more red light runners, and more revenue.

Nice to see greed alive and well at the expense of everyone's safety.

Just one of many articles on banning the bloody things...

Red Light Cameras banned

" We've discussed situations in the past where cities looked at such cameras as "profit centers," and even tampered with their traffic light timing to catch more motorists."

[cmptrmn.1]

As an ex over the road owner operator I too have believed I was in control all the time. Fortunately I was never proven wrong in over 2 million miles. I can show you 100 stop lights within 10 mile radius of Lexington that not only could you not know what it is going to do because the timer sequence it is on changes for different times of the day, but at least 90% of those are situated where you may have 10 seconds of reaction and stopping time (at posted speed limit)from the first time you rounded the curve, or topped the hill and saw it. Your feelings of superior control are applauded, but challenged.
And as the third post in this thread stated, lights I trust, ( I know they are going to turn red just as soon as I get there)people approaching or waiting at them I don't.

Yes, there are special circumstances, I agree. And, NO, I have never run a red light. Well, except on the bike when I have waited and waited and waited for it to change or when I was in a group (are those counted?). Ooops, I do have to take that back. I did run a stop sign once. Coming down hill on an icy street. I have locked up my brakes (in my car) to come to a stop because I wasn't paying enough attention. That is what I was referring to in my earlier post. There are too many people NOT PAYING enough attention to their driving. We probably are all guilty of this. And, yep, I would much rather you run the red light in an 18 wheeler than go down the road sideways as long as you don't run someone over.

[CTRider]

Not sure how many of you have red light cameras....[/I]

Not here. With all the taxes we pay in the state, they have plenty of real cops on patrol around here.

[5150]

I dont trust the signals at all, especially early in the morning. There are multiple lights on my commute in the morning that turn 'for the hell of it.' Usually, they are sensored to turn if someone is sitting at the cross street, but there are times that they will turn on their own. I hate one specific one that is an enterance to a shopping center, that is not even open at 5 am, but that light always catches me. My opposing side has a green arrow, while mine does not, and the stupid thing cycles through the arrow (leaving my side sitting for no reason) wheather someone is turning or not. I see a lot of cagers running that light.

[kanyalsingh]

They come to another red light, and he floors it again. Jeff says, "You're gonna kill us, if you keep doing that." Todd replies " Don't Worry, My Brother drives like this.". Then they come to a green light, and Todd slams on the brakes. Jeff says, "What are you doing?!?!!!!" Todd replies, "My brother might be coming the other way!"
_________________

artificial turf
field turf

[CTRider]

There are multiple lights on my commute in the morning that turn 'for the hell of it.' Usually, they are sensored to turn if someone is sitting at the cross street, but there are times that they will turn on their own. I hate one specific one that is an enterance to a shopping center, that is not even open at 5 am, but that light always catches me. My opposing side has a green arrow, while mine does not, and the stupid thing cycles through the arrow (leaving my side sitting for no reason) wheather someone is turning or not. I see a lot of cagers running that light.

When I lived in one area of town, I deliberately avoided one particular street. At 3AM, coming home from work, I would get that same thing at a grocery store plaza - a store that had been closed and empty for years. I would approach the light, and at the same distance every time, the light would turn red for the main road I was on and sit like that for a good 2-3 minutes. I'm almost certain there had to be a tripper in the road that was turning the light red as you approached - every time. The kicker? During the day the light was a flashing yellow.

I found it easier to use the next street over, despite the fact that that one was a 25MPH speed limit as opposed to 35MPH.

It's almost like they had it set up to a) catch people running the light or b) catch them speeding down the other street.