Making Americans dependant on govt one small step at a time

[..]

Locally some traffic lights have been added to/changed. On state roads.

There's an amber flashing arrow light added for left turners at some traffic light controlled junstions.

These have been added to junctions where one has always been allowed to turn left if no oncoming traffic and through traffic have green lights.

None have been added to junctions where previously one was not allowed to make a left turn if through traffic had a green light.

Why has the state DOT decided to spend the tax payers $$$ 

Why can't drivers be expected to know the rules of the road???

[BobB]

We've had those same lights installed on some of our city four lane streets.  I too did not understand why.  We even had an article in the local paper, explaining them, when they were activated.  Go figure...

[Willow]

As one who totaled a Ford Focus that turned in front of my Interstate (on a green light) I strongly disagree with your assessment on the reminder light.    

[0leman]

Here in Oregon, they started using the amber arrow for left turns several years ago.   They are for the left turn lanes.   Most places have a green arrow for left turn lanes while the rest of the traffic is stopped.  Then it turns amber to allow you to make a left turn when traffic permits.  Not all stop lights have them.  On junctions with lots of traffic they are not setup. 

I like them.  You don't have to wait till the lights make the complete cycle to go.

[Tx Bohemian]

Hmmm...

Maybe it's too early in the morning for me but I'm not following your thought pattern here Britman.
You don't think it's just to make the roads more safe?

I'm not trying to start anything here with you as I enjoy your posts, especially the political ones as we see eye to eye a lot in that aspect.

And maybe you're right, small steps to make us dependent, but have you observed how people drive? 
Between cell phone usage(calls, texting), no signal use, etc... 
I'm amazed that there aren't more accidents.

[BobB]

As one who totaled a Ford Focus that turned in front of my Interstate (on a green light) I strongly disagree with your assessment on the reminder light.    

Well, back in 1967, I also t-boned a car that turned in front of me.  I just don't believe these flashing yellow arrows help.  Perhaps it needs to be a flashing red light.

[Willow]

As one who totaled a Ford Focus that turned in front of my Interstate (on a green light) I strongly disagree with your assessment on the reminder light.    

Well, back in 1967, I also t-boned a car that turned in front of me.  I just don't believe these flashing yellow arrows help.  Perhaps it needs to be a flashing red light.

I don't disagree with you, Bob.  What I did find offensive was someone with no real information whining about spending the taxpayers' money on a reminder, granted a reminder that may or may not make a difference.  Based upon the applied logic we should just stop spending money on those expensive traffic lights and simply trust everyone to just be polite at uncontrolled intersections.  

Incidentally she thought it was my fault as she didn't see me until I hit her. 

[Jack]

They just put some in our town and, personally, I like them.

[Oss]

Now a blinking red I could understand as I would hope a person stops before turning,
amber means they can go thru at full warp speed


 


I am still waiting for NYS DOT to fix the left turn signal at 9A southbound
Its now Hudson Valley Transportation Management Center in case anyone else in Westchester has a problem with a light  914 742 6100



It wont turn with just a bike in the lane
Yes after waiting a cycle of the light 2 minutes, I run it when 9A is green.
You cant see down the cross street, to run that is suicide

[Earl43P]

It really is a safety enhancement. I actually MISS these when I travel (monthly) to see the Grandkids in WV and Pa.  The wife gets pissy  because I'll run a red lighted left turn when there is no oncoming traffic, just as if it had the flashing yellow arrow and think nothing of it.


"To the driver turning left, the flashing yellow arrow means exactly the same as the steady green circular indication. Left turning drivers are allowed to make a left turn if there is a gap in oncoming traffic. With the flashing yellow arrow, opposing straight-ahead traffic has a circular green at the same time. With the steady green arrow, opposing traffic must have a circular red.

The flashing yellow arrow has an important safety advantage because it can be shown while the through signals on the same approach are red. The circular green cannot do this. If oncoming traffic has a lagging protected left turn (with circular green and green left turn arrow indications), the flashing yellow arrow continues to flash to drivers turning left across the oncoming traffic, even though the straight-ahead signals are red. This indication avoids the yellow trap problem.

Only three states are not using the flashing yellow arrows at all. In 2008, Maryland had planned to require that all new signals have flashing yellow arrows. But their new state MUTCD prohibits the flashing yellow arrow in favor of the flashing red arrow Maryland has used for years.[9] The other states are Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Hawaii has now adopted the flashing yellow arrow, and completed its first installation in 2014."

More at the source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic-light_signalling_and_operation

[Serk]

I'm not sure if this is what we're talking about, but I've noticed a trend here in The Republic of replacing a solid green on a turn lane with a flashing yellow arrow? Is this what we're talking about?

I find this trend very annoying and even counter productive. People don't know what to do with a flashing yellow when they're used to a solid green. I've seen people pull out and stop in the middle of the intersection and do all kinds of stupid unpredictable things.

Granted, I've seen people do the same thing with a solid green too but it seems to happen a LOT more often with these flashing yellow arrows. Maybe it'll get better once people get used to 'em but meh...

[..]

Hmmm...

Maybe it's too early in the morning for me but I'm not following your thought pattern here Britman.
You don't think it's just to make the roads more safe?

I'm not trying to start anything here with you as I enjoy your posts, especially the political ones as we see eye to eye a lot in that aspect.

And maybe you're right, small steps to make us dependent, but have you observed how people drive?  
Between cell phone usage(calls, texting), no signal use, etc...  
I'm amazed that there aren't more accidents.

I don't think a distracted driver will notice.

I also think that the proliferation of road signs in the past few years are also a small step to taking away the complete responsibility of the individual. Instead it seems we are being assimilated  

[..]

As one who totaled a Ford Focus that turned in front of my Interstate (on a green light) I strongly disagree with your assessment on the reminder light.    

Well, back in 1967, I also t-boned a car that turned in front of me.  I just don't believe these flashing yellow arrows help.  Perhaps it needs to be a flashing red light.

I don't disagree with you, Bob.  What I did find offensive was someone with no real information whining about spending the taxpayers' money on a reminder, granted a reminder that may or may not make a difference.  Based upon the applied logic we should just stop spending money on those expensive traffic lights and simply trust everyone to just be polite at uncontrolled intersections.  

Incidentally she thought it was my fault as she didn't see me until I hit her.

Willow being snide - whoda thunk it  

As to the rest of your patronising post. Yawnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

[The emperor has no clothes]

Hmmm...

Maybe it's too early in the morning for me but I'm not following your thought pattern here Britman.
You don't think it's just to make the roads more safe?

I'm not trying to start anything here with you as I enjoy your posts, especially the political ones as we see eye to eye a lot in that aspect.

And maybe you're right, small steps to make us dependent, but have you observed how people drive? 
Between cell phone usage(calls, texting), no signal use, etc... 
I'm amazed that there aren't more accidents.

I don't think a distracted drier will notice.

I also think that the proliferation of road signs in the past few years are also a small step to taking away the complete responsibility of the individual. Instead it seems we are being assimilated 

By the Borg ?

[Woton]

Assuming we're talking about the same thing here I believe it's been two-plus years that we've seen the flashing left yellow light at certain intersections in our neck of the woods here in North Carolina.  We do not get the local paper so we can't say whether these were explained to the public when activated, but I'll grant you we were certainly confused by them at first.

Have to say, though...we like the change.

Rather than waiting for a left-turn signal at these intersections it is nice whether on the bike or in the car to be able to turn left at our discretion at the flashing yellow.  In many cases the sensors in the road just do not pick up either the Valk or my wife's big-ass Stratoliner.  We've sat at intersections, waiting for the green signal that never comes, many times...

We did not notice any new traffic lights installed when this changeover occurred, and we've considered them merely a different setting to existing traffic signals.