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Re: traffic lights



fila@eohsi.rutgers.edu (Adam Fila) writes:

>zaphod@madnix.uucp (Ron Bean) writes:
>
>>   The lights around here are on such short cycles that even if
>>you see it turn green, it may be red again by the time you get
>>there. Unfortunately, this encourages more people to try to sneak
>>through on the yellow...
>
>I prefer the short cycles, actually.  There is a light next to my house
>which has an extremely short cycle for both directions, so I know that
>if I get a yellow (-> red), I only have to wait 15-20 seconds before I get
>green again.                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

   Many intersections have left-turn arrows both ways, so once it
turns red you're stuck for a while regardless (if they didn't, it
would be even worse-- there are some places where the only way to
make a left turn is to go through on the yellow!).

>I believe that it's the longer cycles that encourage people to cut
>trough yellow...

  It doesn't seem to work that way around here. It's gotten so
bad that some of the lights now show red both directions for a
second or two, just to make sure the intersection really is clear.

   It may also be a local thing-- I've heard that we've been
selected to be part of an experiment using automatic cameras that
take pictures of cars that enter the intersection after the light
turns red (meaning they missed the yellow completely, and went
through the red anyway). The reason is that the problem is worse
here than anywhere else.

   I think part of it has to do with whether the light stays
green after the cars that were waiting have gotten through
(it won't during rush hour, but I'm thinking of "normal"
traffic). If they're all gone, then it's no surprise when the
light turns red. But if you get there just as the last one clears
the intersection, and there are no other cars behind you, it
seems stupid for it not to stay green a couple more seconds (you
would think the sensors in the road could pick this up and
"extend" the green for you).

   Rush hour is a different case-- then it's a matter of whether
you get to move a reasonable distance during each cycle, instead
of a constant stop-and-go. I've noticed that cops directing
traffic by hand at large events tend toward very long "cycles".
This may be just for their own convenience, but it's nice to know
that once you get moving, you have a pretty good chance of
getting through the intersection.

==================
madnix!zaphod@nicmad.nicolet.com (Ron Bean)
uwvax!astroatc!nicmad!madnix!zaphod



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