Note, after putting this in the queue for today I fully intended to log on and change the tile and eliminate the text below, now wanting to come off like some kind of intolerant jackass, but time got away from me, so here it is in all its unexpurgated glory.
The best reason to ignore the many many stupid people, who insist it is their right to be that way, is to ignore them.
Don't do it for them; do it for yourself.
As a child, I used to imagine roads, highways, cloverleafs, and all manner of road connections. I should have studied civil engineering but even that might not have properly prepared me for the truth.
It begins (in Toronto) with a blinking green light. This was a cue that the other direction would be red. Such intersections often had a sign "Advanced Green when Flashing" or equivalent. The city experimented with different things. The best throughput came from a single direction getting a green with advanced, turning yellow then red. People really hated how long it would take for the signal to get to them, as much as three minutes. They tested "Delayed Green when Flashing" which is what you propose. These were often wasted.. drivers would stare at the light but not enter the intersection.
At Toronto's Wilson and Dufferin intersection, was where the city tried out its first LED green arrow light. It had four oversize lights in the frame, and the bottom one was green left, amber left, or off (so lefts were permitted when safe). At many intersections, this was the best option. Even most of them.
Remember the people with egos? After the signal turns red, perhaps six cars would steal their turn. Oh yes, someone would get upset and drive their car directly into Number Six.
It requires a death in Toronto for people to make changes. Such road crossings were rebuilt with dedicated lanes, and left turn signals would prevent turns unless green. Also there were Red Light Cameras installed, to make certain people paid attention to the rules.
Ok, I've said it.
I have the same, or less patience as you. I really want to ram the bad guys. I just returned from a Doctor's visit, and people continue taking the space in front of me. I'm just not good enough to tail gate like they all do.
I don't think it is our imagination. There seem to be more bad guys than before.
Our city, perhaps our province (Ontario) has a new things which truly irks me. Advanced walk signals.
I am not opposed to pedestrians and bicycles. But if a light gives up the first five seconds to non-existants peds and cyclists, I get upset. Also we have signaled intersections every three or four blocks. Such wasted time accumulates.
If it required a button press (the equipment exists at most intersections) then I'd let up. Right now the button turns on an audible crossing alarm when held for 6 seconds. Otherwise it does nothing.
I don't have the statistic, but let us assume our city grows by 4% each year. The roadway doesn't get that much wider each year, even when they improve the infrastructure. Like it or not, our roads are becoming full, and growing the worst drivers to the surface.
The inspiration for this title was animate, not an inanimate badly timed traffic light, but I share pretty much equally your impatience with the level of ineptness with which traffic control in general is programmed.
There are places here in Kansas City where if you proceed in a sedate, safe, speed limit observing manner from one light the next one will stop you as you approach - all the lights on the road set the same. All this does is literally encourage speeding and unsafe driving.
There are places here where in the evening you are forced to wait for a left turn signal for oncoming traffic allowing them to turn into a dead end street with businesses closed for the evening, so of course nobody makes those turns so the time you spend sitting there waiting for the light to turn is an asinine waste of your time. Try writing to the traffic division to report this and you’ll get a reply about how all the lights are timed by experts for maximum safety, totally ignoring the fact that safety isn’t the issue.
However, there is hope. New intersections are increasingly being designed as circles, which, it’s about time. Sedona Arizona is a model for this kind of thing. We spent a couple of weeks there and rarely ever had to wait on a standard traffic light as it’s pretty much a city of circular intersections.
The best reason to ignore the many many stupid people, who insist it is their right to be that way, is to ignore them.
Don't do it for them; do it for yourself.
As a child, I used to imagine roads, highways, cloverleafs, and all manner of road connections. I should have studied civil engineering but even that might not have properly prepared me for the truth.
It begins (in Toronto) with a blinking green light. This was a cue that the other direction would be red. Such intersections often had a sign "Advanced Green when Flashing" or equivalent. The city experimented with different things. The best throughput came from a single direction getting a green with advanced, turning yellow then red. People really hated how long it would take for the signal to get to them, as much as three minutes. They tested "Delayed Green when Flashing" which is what you propose. These were often wasted.. drivers would stare at the light but not enter the intersection.
At Toronto's Wilson and Dufferin intersection, was where the city tried out its first LED green arrow light. It had four oversize lights in the frame, and the bottom one was green left, amber left, or off (so lefts were permitted when safe). At many intersections, this was the best option. Even most of them.
Remember the people with egos? After the signal turns red, perhaps six cars would steal their turn. Oh yes, someone would get upset and drive their car directly into Number Six.
It requires a death in Toronto for people to make changes. Such road crossings were rebuilt with dedicated lanes, and left turn signals would prevent turns unless green. Also there were Red Light Cameras installed, to make certain people paid attention to the rules.
Ok, I've said it.
I have the same, or less patience as you. I really want to ram the bad guys. I just returned from a Doctor's visit, and people continue taking the space in front of me. I'm just not good enough to tail gate like they all do.
I don't think it is our imagination. There seem to be more bad guys than before.
Our city, perhaps our province (Ontario) has a new things which truly irks me. Advanced walk signals.
I am not opposed to pedestrians and bicycles. But if a light gives up the first five seconds to non-existants peds and cyclists, I get upset. Also we have signaled intersections every three or four blocks. Such wasted time accumulates.
If it required a button press (the equipment exists at most intersections) then I'd let up. Right now the button turns on an audible crossing alarm when held for 6 seconds. Otherwise it does nothing.
I don't have the statistic, but let us assume our city grows by 4% each year. The roadway doesn't get that much wider each year, even when they improve the infrastructure. Like it or not, our roads are becoming full, and growing the worst drivers to the surface.
I can talk, but I cannot offer you a solution.
The inspiration for this title was animate, not an inanimate badly timed traffic light, but I share pretty much equally your impatience with the level of ineptness with which traffic control in general is programmed.
There are places here in Kansas City where if you proceed in a sedate, safe, speed limit observing manner from one light the next one will stop you as you approach - all the lights on the road set the same. All this does is literally encourage speeding and unsafe driving.
There are places here where in the evening you are forced to wait for a left turn signal for oncoming traffic allowing them to turn into a dead end street with businesses closed for the evening, so of course nobody makes those turns so the time you spend sitting there waiting for the light to turn is an asinine waste of your time. Try writing to the traffic division to report this and you’ll get a reply about how all the lights are timed by experts for maximum safety, totally ignoring the fact that safety isn’t the issue.
However, there is hope. New intersections are increasingly being designed as circles, which, it’s about time. Sedona Arizona is a model for this kind of thing. We spent a couple of weeks there and rarely ever had to wait on a standard traffic light as it’s pretty much a city of circular intersections.