Traffic lights always on green

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Keiji
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Traffic lights always on green

Post by Keiji »

Inspired to write this by the "Amber gambling" thread...

Here's an arrangement I've seen in a few places. The straight-on signal always shows green - also, there is no stop line, and (usually) no secondary signal. This is used where it's not permitted to turn right out of the side road, so straight-on traffic has no reason to stop.

Sometimes you see a straight-on filter arrow instead of a full 3-aspect signal.

Makes sense, yes - I'm curious though, is either of these arrangements actually permitted by TSRGD? I thought a secondary signal was mandatory, which would mean you'd have to use the filter arrangement if you didn't want a secondary signal installed.

Also, do they actually bother installing red and amber bulbs, connected up to the controller (and never lit), or are they just fake aspects?

This alternative has no straight-on signal at all, although maybe it's because it's less likely to be confused due to having 2 straight on lanes here?
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Lockwood
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Lockwood »

Can't find them now, but I've been on motorway junctions where there's a left turn lane on a roundabout complete with traffic lights and stop line.
No. I don't mean flow control at the bottom. The signal heads are in line with the ones on the roundabout.
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MiChaos
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by MiChaos »

These were installed at some point to allow buses to right-turn out of the side road, but AFAIK they never did - if you spin the camera right you can see the lights on the side road have been covered up. I always think the stright-on lights must be a waste of electricity and surely could be turned off and covered up (at the very least take out the bulbs!).
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Lockwood
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Lockwood »

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A8000Bob
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by A8000Bob »

This example is slightly different.

When the lights are red or amber the left turn filter arrow is always on, so traffic turning left never needs to stop. Unless straight ahead traffic is queued back past the left turn lane...
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Glen »

The ones in the first link are stupid with a full signal head when they will never change and there is no stop line.
There is a similar junction in Inverness (to allow right turns into a one way road) but just has a single green ahead arrow on the signal for right turns.

I think boing said before that these lights are wired on permanently, which seems to be the case as I've seen the signals at the junction fail on a few occasions, but the green arrow has remainef lit.
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Chris Bertram
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Chris Bertram »

A8000Bob wrote:This example is slightly different.

When the lights are red or amber the left turn filter arrow is always on, so traffic turning left never needs to stop. Unless straight ahead traffic is queued back past the left turn lane...
Why bother ever extinguishing the left turn filter, then?
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M5Lenzar
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by M5Lenzar »

These lights in Taunton used to be perma-green for Wellington-bound traffic.

They still mostly are, but go red occasionally for a ped crossing. One even I actually agree with - I wouldn't want to try to cross this road uncontrolled!
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Phil »

Lockwood wrote:Can't find them now, but I've been on motorway junctions where there's a left turn lane on a roundabout complete with traffic lights and stop line.
No. I don't mean flow control at the bottom. The signal heads are in line with the ones on the roundabout.
Like this you mean

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=pease+p ... 5,,0,-0.35

(Only the entry to the roundabout actually works as propper lights)
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Lockwood
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Lockwood »

Yep.
The 2 I linked earlier are the same, zip lane is permagreen, roundabout is normal behaviour
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A8000Bob
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by A8000Bob »

Lockwood wrote:Yep.
The 2 I linked earlier are the same, zip lane is permagreen, roundabout is normal behaviour
In these examples do the amber and red lights work? Or are they just empty housings?
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Dougman »

Here's an example I saw a fortnight ago (slightly different country, but there you go), plenty of yellow arrows about too.
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Lockwood
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Lockwood »

A8000Bob wrote:
Lockwood wrote:Yep.
The 2 I linked earlier are the same, zip lane is permagreen, roundabout is normal behaviour
In these examples do the amber and red lights work? Or are they just empty housings?
I've never stopped to check?
andrewhowell

Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by andrewhowell »

The always green arrow indicates that not need to stop.
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Lockwood
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by Lockwood »

andrewhowell wrote:The always green arrow indicates that not need to stop.
Yep. What Andrew said.
I'd say that stopping anywhere near my examples would be a Very Bad Idea (TM).
Given that you've commented on thestupidity of some of my posts in the past, I am deeply shocked!
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A8000Bob
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by A8000Bob »

Where did I ask anybody to stop and find out?? :confused:

Considering we have a number of people on this forum who are employed in related industries to this topic, I think it is a fair question.
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by A303Chris »

We had something in Reading until we changed the junction where right turners had a signal to turn right off the main road as did the side road which was left turn only. The lights were installed to help right turners cross a busy flow. It was the old Kings Road / Eldon Road junction if anyone knew it.

How ever through traffic not turning right need not stop and so a green ahead arrow was installed which was always on. However like all the other examples it was just a green arrow, i.e. the bottom third of the signal, there was no amber or red part. I think this is the best way of doing it instead of having a full signal head
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hughster
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by hughster »

I've always been amused by this one on the A1 heading out of London.

The signals are only meant to be for right turning traffic, but because the only red arrows allowed in this country are the flying variety, the only way to make it clear that nobody else has to stop is to provide another (pointless) constantly lit green "ahead" arrow next to them.
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by M5Lenzar »

This set of lights here is only for the right turn. There is green arrow for the uncontrolled straight-ahead traffic, so perhaps policy is changing on such things (the fact that there's no control for that movement at all is novel in 2012!).

Sorry for the poor angle of the picture, but the other carriageway's streetview is from before it was put in.
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FurryBoots
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Re: Traffic lights always on green

Post by FurryBoots »

Surely where space is available, this sort of arrangement similar to Lenzar's would be preferable. It's probably not possible in the OP examples but some of the other's in this thread could surely be laid out in this way.

EDIT: Shouldn't this thread be under Street Furniture?
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