george707 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Lately I have noticed that traffic signals in my neighborhood and around town are being replaced with brighter signals and red arrows on turn signals. However, these signals do not look like LED signals that I have seen in the past. They are bright like LED's, but you cannot see the individual diodes clearly as you could with other ones. Does anyone know what the deal is with these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 They could still be arrays of LEDs hidden behind a diffuser. For a while the feds were chucking money at cities to replace their old lights with LED ones. I haven't heard of a new technology to supplant LEDs yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 They're LEDs. The new red arrows have to do with a MUTCD requirement. For a long time, the City and TxDOT didn't follow it, now it seems that they're cracking down on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 They're LEDs. The new red arrows have to do with a MUTCD requirement. For a long time, the City and TxDOT didn't follow it, now it seems that they're cracking down on it.you'd've thought that the mayor would have been behind this technology from day 1, what with the energy reduction push and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 you'd've thought that the mayor would have been behind this technology from day 1, what with the energy reduction push and all that.The conversion to LEDs has been taking place for a long time. The first LEDs started showing up in the area around 1995-96, but were replaced with regular bulbs. Then, they started showing up again around 4-5 years ago. Again their installation was sporadic. It wasn't until 2-3 years ago that the City and TxDOT started getting really serious about LED installation. Some lights had LEDs retrofitted, while some were entirely replaced. They should have a longer life than the regular bulbs and neon bulbs used in the old signals, though I've already observed one light with LEDs already have a unit fail in about 1 year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 The conversion to LEDs has been taking place for a long time. The first LEDs started showing up in the area around 1995-96, but were replaced with regular bulbs. Then, they started showing up again around 4-5 years ago. Again their installation was sporadic. It wasn't until 2-3 years ago that the City and TxDOT started getting really serious about LED installation. Some lights had LEDs retrofitted, while some were entirely replaced. They should have a longer life than the regular bulbs and neon bulbs used in the old signals, though I've already observed one light with LEDs already have a unit fail in about 1 year.Since you seem to be an expert on this, maybe you can answer a question. Are the retrofits the ones where we can see the individual LEDs? They just installed new lights and supports at the intersection of Pecore and Beauchamp Streets, and though they are bright, they have diffusers on them. You are suggesting that there are LEDs behind the diffusers. Is this correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Since you seem to be an expert on this, maybe you can answer a question. Are the retrofits the ones where we can see the individual LEDs? They just installed new lights and supports at the intersection of Pecore and Beauchamp Streets, and though they are bright, they have diffusers on them. You are suggesting that there are LEDs behind the diffusers. Is this correct? Depending on what side of town you're on, it looks like the City is using different types of LEDs. I used to be a member of a traffic light forum, but they switched forum software and everyone had to switch over and create all new names. The new forum has all of these new rules which seem rather anti-social. I'm trying to rejoin so I can get you guys some good information on LEDs, but trying to join their new forum is like filling out government documents. You can't have an e-mail address with Yahoo or AOL or other free e-mail clients, you have to submit a questionnaire before they activate your membership. You have to answer it correctly too or else they won't approve your membership. And if you don't introduce yourself in the introductions forum within a week, they delete you. They also delete you if you don't log in over a period of months. They claim it's a way to keep the forum close knit, but from what I can see, TheHAIF has lots of lurkers and nowhere near as many authoritarian rules and we're a pretty close knit community. But, to each their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rail Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) Depending on what side of town you're on, it looks like the City is using different types of LEDs. I used to be a member of a traffic light forum, but they switched forum software and everyone had to switch over and create all new names. The new forum has all of these new rules which seem rather anti-social. I'm trying to rejoin so I can get you guys some good information on LEDs, but trying to join their new forum is like filling out government documents. You can't have an e-mail address with Yahoo or AOL or other free e-mail clients, you have to submit a questionnaire before they activate your membership. You have to answer it correctly too or else they won't approve your membership. And if you don't introduce yourself in the introductions forum within a week, they delete you. They also delete you if you don't log in over a period of months. They claim it's a way to keep the forum close knit, but from what I can see, TheHAIF has lots of lurkers and nowhere near as many authoritarian rules and we're a pretty close knit community. But, to each their own. I know which forum you're talking about, seeing as I'm a bit of a signal fan myself. I ran across it doing a google search on traffic signals in certain jurisdictions. Speaking of signals, I have one question about peculiar signal set-ups in Houston and the surrounding area. Why does Houston/TxDOT insist on using "left on arrow only" signals at so many intersections where a "left turn yield on green" signal would suffice, as in most other cities? I've noticed this while looking at different intersections in Google street view. My guess is that since left-turn arrows normally come after the thru-traffic phase in Texas (as opposed to before in most other states), there isn't much added benefit in allowing turning traffic to go as long as they yield since they'll get an arrow in a few seconds after a big-enough gap appears in opposing traffic. But that doesn't explain why they use the more standard "left turn yields" in Dallas/Ft Worth and the rest of the state. Does anyone have an answer? It would seem that this set-up would be annoying to drivers from outside the area, and probably causes more traffic back-ups than necessary on major arterials Here are two pictures to illustrate what I'm talking about: What's standard in most cities: What's standard in Houston: Edited October 13, 2009 by Rail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) I know which forum you're talking about, seeing as I'm a bit of a signal fan myself. I ran across it doing a google search on traffic signals in certain jurisdictions.Speaking of signals, I have one question about peculiar signal set-ups in Houston and the surrounding area. Why does Houston/TxDOT insist on using "left on arrow only" signals at so many intersections where a "left turn yield on green" signal would suffice, as in most other cities? I've noticed this while looking at different intersections in Google street view.My guess is that since left-turn arrows normally come after the thru-traffic phase in Texas (as opposed to before in most other states), there isn't much added benefit in allowing turning traffic to go as long as they yield since they'll get an arrow in a few seconds after a big-enough gap appears in opposing traffic. But that doesn't explain why they use the more standard "left turn yields" in Dallas/Ft Worth and the rest of the state.Does anyone have an answer? It would seem that this set-up would be annoying to drivers from outside the area, and probably causes more traffic back-ups than necessary on major arterialsHere are two pictures to illustrate what I'm talking about:What's standard in most cities:What's standard in Houston:That's a question I would like to know the answer to. I am guessing the city/county answer is safety, so you don't have people trying to play frogger and bust through gaps in oncoming traffic. That's fine and good for weekday rush hour on busy thoroughfares, but there should be a non-peak time change to the yield scenario or something. The worst to me aren't the ones in the city, but down in the burbs at the newer intersections (Kirby @ Broadway in Pearland, for example). They don't time the lights worth a crap, there is no traffic, and you sit there forever waiting while there's no traffic but you at the intersection. Edited October 13, 2009 by 20thStDad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 They did change a bunch of lights a few years ago from left on arrow only to arrow and yield. Many Montrose intersections come to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I like the way the new ones look better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rail Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 They did change a bunch of lights a few years ago from left on arrow only to arrow and yield. Many Montrose intersections come to mind.I've noticed that the arrow/yield setup is more common inside the Loop, especially with new installations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 What's standard in Houston: What intersection is that? It appears that the rail line is running right through the middle of the intersection. You don't see that too much in Houston. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rail Posted October 14, 2009 Share Posted October 14, 2009 What intersection is that? It appears that the rail line is running right through the middle of the intersection. You don't see that too much in Houston.I have no idea. I did a google image search to find an image of the traffic signal setup I was talking about. That's an older 70's-ish assembly that seems very common in industrial areas of the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasepies Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 What intersection is that? It appears that the rail line is running right through the middle of the intersection. You don't see that too much in Houston.I think that intersection is Lawndale @ Evergreen St.@ Griggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLWM8609 Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I think that intersection is Lawndale @ Evergreen St.@ GriggsI just checked it out on Google Maps, and you're right. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samagon Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 What intersection is that? It appears that the rail line is running right through the middle of the intersection. You don't see that too much in Houston.I wonder what the incident rate is for car/train accidents at that intersection is compared with light rail intersections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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