Traffic backed up
  15 years
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Just back home from a shopping trip to the southwest side of Toledo, Ohio. We passed through 3 intersections that had traffic cameras and noticed an interesting fact. Traffic was backed up at all three intersections. It appeared to me that the city has shortened the green light interval at all three. The one at Holland-Sylvania and Airport Hwy was only allowing about 5 or 6 cars through on each green. The two on Reynolds Rd, south of Airport were a little better but still only letting around 10-12 cars through on each light change. All of these intersections were 2 lanes in each directions. I witnessed two cars pushing their luck by entering the intersection on yellow, the cameras didn't flash so I assume they didn't get a ticket. I didn't notice the length of the yellow being any different.
I thought about this and realized that the city could be boosting camera revenue by increasing driver frustration. Sitting in traffic, 1/2 block from a stoplight and watching the short light only allowing a few cars through at a time could almost be called entrapment.
Another city government well
Another city government well serving it's citizens.
Kick 'em out of office!
Fred
Big deal...
This guy beat a MSBA NYC bus across town on a big wheel. This is in every day NYC traffic. These lights are normal...
http://gas2.org/2011/04/11/video-man-beats-bus-on-big-wheel/
Striving to make the NYC Metro area project the best.
In the Chicago suburbs they
In the Chicago suburbs they also seem to have shortened some of the left turn arrows. This frustrates drivers leading to 3-4 turning in front of oncoming traffic. They must wait for the intersection to clear but it significantly reduces the number of cars per green. Cops will write a ticket if they see it but they are conspicuously absent during rush hour unless they are having a ticket writing campaign.
John B - Garmin 765T
It's normal
This frustrates drivers leading to 3-4 turning in front of oncoming traffic.
This isn't really frustration, it's agression, and is pretty much normal in most really big metro areas.
I know it's been the norm in Chicago and vicinity 'cause I've been driving there for about 40 years now. They were doing it at busy times in 1965 and they still are; only difference is that congestion is worse and "busy times" last longer.
Magellan Maestro 4250// MIO C310X
lights
It would be nice if the lights were timed so that more cars could go through the intersection, instead of a handful. The things I find irritating are,
1. Cross traffic that has not cleared the intersection when the 4 second left turn arrow is illuminated.
2. The lead car in the left turn lane not moving when the intersection is clear, and the light is green.
3. People that go unusually slow.
4. Intersections that have no left green arrow.
5. Intersections with sensors that have no rhyme nor reason as to when the left arrow will be activated, or any green light in any given direction for that matter.
6. More than one car entering an intersection for a left turn with no arrow, and hosing up the intersection for cross traffic.
7. Throwing pedestrians into the mix.
8. Double left turn lanes with people that don't know how to turn into their perspective lanes.
9. Adding a red light camera on top of it all to make it a little more stressful.
:P
It would be nice if the lights were timed so that more cars could go through the intersection, instead of a handful. The things I find irritating are,
1. Cross traffic that has not cleared the intersection when the 4 second left turn arrow is illuminated.
Irritating indeed, but understandable. Lights that only let 3 cars go through suck.
2. The lead car in the left turn lane not moving when the intersection is clear, and the light is green.
HONK! repeatedly!
3. People that go unusually slow.
They should allow others to pass.
4. Intersections that have no left green arrow.
Those suck. I keep my car in the middle until the light changes and go through quickly. Don't care you are not supposed to do that.
5. Intersections with sensors that have no rhyme nor reason as to when the left arrow will be activated, or any green light in any given direction for that matter.
Lousy programming, water damage, "profit" programming? There are many of those around. Noticed many repairs to roads done now and they are not restored to what they used to be. Missing reflectors in the middle line is one example (those signal people who don't know how to keep the car in the lane, that they are out of it)
6. More than one car entering an intersection for a left turn with no arrow, and hosing up the intersection for cross traffic.
Frustration. I don't do that though. If I'm not going to be alone in the intersection, I won't go in.
7. Throwing pedestrians into the mix.
Reason #1 why I don't drive into big cities anymore. Public transportation there for me, so I can be one of those pedestrians annoying drivers
8. Double left turn lanes with people that don't know how to turn into their perspective lanes.
Again, HONK! repeatedly if they are getting in your lane.
9. Adding a red light camera on top of it all to make it a little more stressful.
Not stressful...PROFITABLE!!! Annoy drivers so they run the light and pay another city tax!
Garmin nuvi 1300LM with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 200W with 4GB SD card Garmin nuvi 260W with 4GB SD card r.i.p.
Just checking
I do not think that there are red light cameras at any of three intersections in the original post. Have they been recently added? If there are none, then the comments about revenue would not apply.
It sounds to me like the timing of these intersections may have been off for some reason. Usually, I call the city "hot line" - ours is 311 - and report the problem. Until someone complains, it won't get fixed in today's environment of budget squeeze.
tee hee
Thanos_of_MW
I love the commentary! I found myself wanting to put a lot of comments in parenthesis as well.