Traffic lights always on green

[AndyB]

Yes, it was a simple right turn (originally without a separate lane!) onto the Belvoir Road, and a teardrop from the Belvoir Road in the other direction. Curiously, I noticed somewhere along the way that the A55 was the B205 from that point, and the B23 diverted at Edenderry, so I have no idea what the Milltown Road used to be at that time! As I'm sure Wesley also mentions, the A55 was originally intended to go straight on at that point through Lagan Valley Regional Park, but that will not now happen.

The traffic lights were installed as part of the preparatory works for the Westlink upgrade due to the increased traffic coming off the B205, being the main alternative route for traffic travelling to/from Co Down.

It's a very sensible permagreen, as people might otherwise assume they had to stop at an invisible stop line.

[Chris_533976]

This is the 'end of the bus lane' light to the east of Terenure in Dublin. I've been driving past it almost daily for two years, never seen it red.

http://goo.gl/maps/uxadk

There's a permagreen facing the other way that appears to show the word "BUS" on it, but it doesn't make any sense for it to point that way as there's no bus lane for it to control. Was this "BUS" green light originally turned around to face the same way as the rest of the lights so as to let buses go while other traffic is stopped?

Knowing Ireland it was facing the same way as the rest of the lights, as you've described, but I'd say a buses wing mirror gave it a slap one day and it never got fixed

[frediculous_biggs]

I've been thinking today about the set of lights at the A2/A28 Wincheap junction, and specifically this set, and how they will never show anything other than green for the left hand lane.

I wondered if that's because there's a right turn with lights and it would be confusing without them, but then there's also this example. This is much older, but is a very similar situation, with the left hand lanes continuing regardless of the status right turn (the turn to the left is one-way). Both also have a pedestrian crossing a small distance down the road.

Interestingly further down the A2, there's a set of lights where a left turn is always allowed, either through the main green or a green arrow.

Are there other examples of this? Or is this perhaps a new way of laying out such a junction? Or perhaps are there other examples of lights that never go red or green?

[Andy33gmail]

During the work to the Hills Road bridge in Cambridge, some turns were banned, and we had a permanent ahead arrow on green for a year or so because there was no longer a conflict

[Fahad]

This thread has many examples: Traffic lights always on green

[Stevie D]

I've been thinking today about the set of lights at the A2/A28 Wincheap junction, and specifically this set, and how they will never show anything other than green for the left hand lane.

I wondered if that's because there's a right turn with lights and it would be confusing without them, but then there's also this example. This is much older, but is a very similar situation, with the left hand lanes continuing regardless of the status right turn (the turn to the left is one-way). Both also have a pedestrian crossing a small distance down the road.

In the second example, the lights could well be there purely because of the pedestrian crossing.

In the first example, it's a judgement call. There's a junction that's recently been added near here with a right-turn off a dual-carriageway, but no corresponding right-turn onto the d-c. There is only a right-turn traffic light on the filter lane, and nothing at all on the mainline. Whenever I approach this, I have to do a double-take and reassure myself that the only set of lights I can see don't actually apply to me going straight on ... while there is extra installation and maintenance costs of installing a second set of lights to show a permanent green, it does at least do away with this potential confusion and allow the traffic to flow more freely.

[AndyB]

Merged and moved

[Median]

https://goo.gl/maps/w6Q1j

This used to be a conventional T-junction until they prohibited turning right out of the side road. As a local I know that I don't need to be on amber alert when going straight ahead, but it still feels slightly wrong. There is a slim chance that some desperado will do an illegal right turn from the side road, although the curved traffic island makes that difficult.

[jonnyf90]

M27 J5 westbound.
https://goo.gl/maps/by5IP
Exiting onto Thomas Lewis Way, these left arrows are always green, even though there's a stop line, I'm guessing it pre-dates the lane separation?

What's the point?

[traffic-light-man]

Alternatively, this filter lane at M62 J7 was added a few years ago but you regularly get left turning traffic stop for the signals. A simple fix would of course be a full-time filter arrow.

[Jeni]

Alternatively, this filter lane at M62 J7 was added a few years ago but you regularly get left turning traffic stop for the signals. A simple fix would of course be a full-time filter arrow.

The same thing seems to happen on the southbound filter exiting the M40 at J15. I guess if people aren't familiar with the junction then it's understandable to be a bit cautious.

[Johnathan404]

M27 J5 westbound.
https://goo.gl/maps/by5IP
Exiting onto Thomas Lewis Way, these left arrows are always green, even though there's a stop line, I'm guessing it pre-dates the lane separation?

What's the point?

No, it was put in with the filter lane. The original plan for the eastbound offslip and Wide Lane filter lanes had them too, but I don't think they're still in the plan... that's if the junction is ever finished.

Off the top of my head, I believe the narrower J7 eastbound doesn't have lights of the filter lane. It can be a little bit confusing but this junction would have been a lot clearer.

Thomas Lewis Way has another example at the Lodge Road exit.

[Andy33gmail]

Realise this is way old, but just been flicking through

Does a green arrow not impose a mandatory 'movement in direction of arrows only'? So a green right arrow display without a green straight arrow means you must turn right.

Only applies in relation to a movement crossing the stop line.

Surely that can't be so, without a stop line, the primary becomes "the stop line"? So you would indeee need to stop if the right arrow was green. In any case, the stop line applies to the whole carrigeway (it's not separated by islands).

If either of the above weren't true, you could:
-Do a right turn at that junction on red from the left lane (no blue ahead only arrow or no right turn sign)
-Move into the oncoming lane to circumvent any traffic light, so long as you don't contravene an island with a blue arrow

[Fahad]

It also raises questions about the legality of things like this bus gate cycle bypass

[Andy33gmail]

The cycle bypass is separated by the island, so there's definitely not a red light violation. However, any cyclist using that would be contravening the keep-right arrow.

[Fahad]

That's a consistent rule - I don't think any consistent rules have been proposed on this site before. I like that interpretation, it means that this thing is fair game

[Andy33gmail]

I wouldn't hesistate to use that. That said, I'd do it with appropriate use of speed

[Fahad]

Theoretically speaking it may even be used southbound

[Andy33gmail]

I've always wondered about creating a pedestrian crossing that doesn't cause cars to have to stop. To achieve this, split each direction in 2 around a splitter, with them passing on the left 50% of the time and right 50%. That way, there's a continuous route for traffic, and a wave of green men for peds to follow across one way then the other

[sirwiggum]

I've always wondered about creating a pedestrian crossing that doesn't cause cars to have to stop. To achieve this, split each direction in 2 around a splitter, with them passing on the left 50% of the time and right 50%. That way, there's a continuous route for traffic, and a wave of green men for peds to follow across one way then the other

Would it work? Peds tend to look and see if a road is immediately clear, and cross, regardless of pedestrian signal.

The transitionary phase between one lane and the other may cause issues, as stragglers or pre-empters cross when it becomes green for vehicle traffic.