Traffic Signal Lights

In the case of Chicago.......it takes 5 morons.

I worked a project at Grant Park last summer.

Watched a "smart" light get installed at an intersection on the inner drive.

Each moron sat in a lawn chair on each of the four corners equipped with a hand "clicker" counter, two way radio, and a clip board from 7AM to 3:30PM.

The 5th moron (foreman?) sat in the air conditioned van apparently compiling data from the other 4 morons.

The result, arrive at the intersection on the secondary street on a red light (at 5AM little to no traffic, at 5PM heavy traffic - does not matter) expect to sit for 3 minutes. Arrive on a red light and want to turn left onto the primary road, expect to sit 5 minutes minimum.

Was through the area this past Memorial Day, signal cycling is the same as it was 1 year ago.

National Standards....................Hhhuuuuhhhhhhh?????????????

Believe it or not here in Puerto Rico, you don't have to stop from Midnight to 5 AM.

In USVI, however during "rush hour" they send officers out to direct traffic. They don't control the lights via remote, they just stand there, wave there arms, blow whistles and make obscene gestures. An (obscene gesture is a 300 pounder in a skin tight uniform.)

Could you be more specific about what is wrong?

To what standards do you refer?

What would you do differently?

Seriously? Why is it that I can find a lot of references to studies and recommendations for signal timing but the morons that program the PLC's can't find their way back to unfinished work?

One area that I pass through twice daily gives a high priority (5 second wait) to secondary and tertiary roads with no consideration to the 55MPH traffic it is interrupting. Typically, 20 to 40 vehicles are stopped to let one jackass cross the intersection or the main stream. I have calculated that one gallon of gasoline is consumed by every 20 cars just in regaining the highway speed.

Our dependence on foreign oil imports is largely due to half assed traffic control and intersection design. Considering the existing job market, the key to an improved economy is fixing these half baked intersections. Yes, I realize that my tax dollars are going to have to fund this investment, but the tax dollars already spent have resulted in one of the biggest clusterf**ks on the road. So what is the difference?

Satisfaction, is the difference!

Well,

Does it make sense to make EVERY vehicle stop before entering a "freeway" during "rush hour"? Even if the traffic at the moment doesn't require it?

Signal timing depends on many factors, not all of which are obvious to those of us who are inconvienced by those red lights.

I'm sure you may have a valid point.

I think the "National Standards" that KJK refers to is ... lack of National Standards! As pointed out in original post, look at the gas we could save as a country, that is money put back into the pockets of consumers! The problem is if "National Standards" are invoked to save our country and save our citizens money in the long run, states will scream "over regulation!". And the lesser educated citizens will scream "It's those damn environmentalist trying to force us to breath cleaner air and live longer!". ha ha

And the tax payers will revolt if we design the intersection so that it does not need traffic lights because it will cost more.

I can't understand why people are willing to spend less for something that costs more the operate than the alternate. I'm not sure those people should be allowed to participate in the decision process. Perhaps when it comes to efficiency, a democracy should be considered "a sure path to failure" approach.

I really hate seeing my tax dollars pay for poorly thought out designs. I guess it gives me the right to be critical. If not, I want a tax refund!

Yep, like 'round-abouts'. Not traffic light at the intersection, automatically adjust traffic volume regardless of time of day. (Puts humans back in control, which may be a good thing or a bad thing. ha ha) Our small town put a round-about in and people (including my self) resisted the change at first. But it wasn't long we got used to it, and I see it has a lot less of car sitting still burning gas. One of the rare examples where less technology = more savings.

My Prius burns no gasoline at a stop light. But I solve timing issues all the time and my programming solutions always anticipate the need before it arrives.

I just want the decision makers to realize that "gud enuf" does not cut it!