Dumb Traffic Lights

[Jim Norman]

Yes, I hate to sit at a light for 3 minutes with no traffic coming down the main road unable to cross because the lights are DUMB. The technology exists to have lights 'look' at the traffic and change immediately if there is no traffic regardless of how long it was since the last change. It is also possible to link lights together to keep traffic back ups to a minimum.

[Youngeyes]

Dude. You live in NJ. Call Governor Christie. He's an expert on traffic issues.

[Sarge]

I agree with the OP. There are several of those around me. No matter what time of the day or night the lights change and stay red for about 2 minutes. You know, many other countries don't even have traffic lights or signs at many intersections. Traffic is regulated by who gets there first and vehicle size. Actually works quite well after you get used to it. Coming back to the states and sitting at a red light with no traffic in sight seemed so pointless.

[jaredr]

You know, many other countries don't even have traffic lights or signs at many intersections. Traffic is regulated by who gets there first and vehicle size

Lol! after driving in South America, I was happy to get back to the States and sit there at a red light, safe and sound, for as long as it took :-)

[Nik Habicht]

Dude. You live in NJ. Call Governor Christie. He's an expert on traffic issues.

Ooooh, Snap! I agree with Jim though -- they're frustrating.....

[blind bat]

I liked how New Zealand is set up. All four way intersections used yield signs instead of stop signs. In fact, just about every place that we'd use a stop sign they'd use a yield. If traffic was to heavy for a yield they used a one lane rotary. National speed limit was 60mph unless otherwise posted.

[toothandnail]

Only thing worse than a dumb light is a DUMBER driver , that stops BEHIND the sensor. And sits there wondering WHY they never get the Green.

I've drove AROUND them to activate the sensor, my wife's a little nicer, she has walked up, knocked on their window, and told them to pull up.

[bountyhunter]

Yes, I hate to sit at a light for 3 minutes with no traffic coming down the main road unable to cross because the lights are DUMB. The technology exists to have lights 'look' at the traffic and change immediately if there is no traffic regardless of how long it was since the last change. It is also possible to link lights together to keep traffic back ups to a minimum.

They had some idiots doing construction and road repair on Kiley Blvd (VERY busy road) and they broke the ground loop on one of the side streets which defaults to constantly cycling the light and stopping main flow of traffic which backed up for blocks. It took them MONTHS to fix it and I had to start driving around the whole road.

Idiots.....

Edited January 27, 2014 by bountyhunter

[bountyhunter]

Only thing worse than a dumb light is a DUMBER driver , that stops BEHIND the sensor. And sits there wondering WHY they never get the Green.

Most of the sensors around here won't cycle for a motorcycle and many times I pull up into the crosswalk and wave the car behind me to pull up.

[JFlowers]

LOL. I remember writing Traffic Light algorithms. From very simple to very very complex, and in the end what we learned was that they have about the same level of success over time.

I forgot what country I was in, maybe Italy, where stop lights are treated like stop signs. Stop, Look, Go. Pull out in front of someone and you pay the bill.

[Toolguy]

For motorcycles, put a big bass speaker magnet on the bottom. That activates the loop in the road.

[rvb]

For motorcycles, put a big bass speaker magnet on the bottom. That activates the loop in the road.

other tricks that sometimes worked, depending on the bike and sensors...

- putting the kick stand down

- shutting the bike off, then restarting (EM field from the starter).

-rvb