On Sat, 29 May 2004, John Rowland wrote:

"Jeremy Parker" wrote:

In the USA they often turnoff traffic lights at night. When off one
direction flashes yellow - that's the major road. The other direction
flashes red - flashing red means the same as a "stop" sign.

So what's the difference between a flashing yellow and a solid green?

Solid green means that non-emergency vehicles may not legally cross the
road you are on (although they can turn right/left on red).

Flashing yellow means someone might try to cross the road before you get
there (although you still have right of way), so watch out for them.

Here there are signals marked "Part time signals" that simply go dark when
they are turned off. In the U.S. they would run flashing yellow/flashing
red in the equivalent circumstance. A signal that is black in the U.S.
should be treated as a four-way stop sign.

Incidentally, since the average life span of a traffic light bulb here is
about none months, I would imagine that the life of these flashing bulbs
must be a few weeks, unless they always use LEDs in them.

In some U.S. municipalities they realized that the lower power consumption
of LEDs means that a replacement of a traffic signal bulb would pay for
itself in four years or so. So they started replacing all the bulbs even
before they burned out.
--
Michael Hoffman

In article , Mark Brader
writes

A textual sign, or graphical? I find it hard to imagine the icon for that.

Graphical.

From memory it took the form of a green arrow pointing right attached to
the main green light. The graphic was mottled.
--
Andrew
Electronic communications can be altered and therefore the integrity of this
communication can not be guaranteed.
Views expressed in this communication are those of the author and not
associations or companies I am involved with.

In message , gs writes

Whilst we at it can we have flashing Amber traffic lights meaning give way
on traffic lights that are not as important during late evening
and early morning?

Like they do in Italy
My experience in Naples is that traffic lights are advisory only.
--
Clive

Mark Brader wrote:
In the US, intersections where you must *not* turn right on red (except in
New York, where by municipal law the default is reversed) are marked with
textual signs, NO TURN ON RED or similar wording.

It's just New York City where you can't right-turn on red. It's legal in the
rest of New York state. (Though you can't talk on a handheld cellphone in
the city or the state, which is very inconvenient for visiting Jersey
drivers who are used to turning right on red while holding their phone :-)

Alex

On Fri, 28 May 2004 at 21:27:33, mookie89
wrote:

What would really
help here in the USA is British style roundabouts. I love driving in your
country because the roundabouts at least keep traffic somewhat flowing as
opposed to what someone else in this thread said about waiting for signals
to change when not a cross traffic or pedestrian is in sight.

Wouldn't it, just! I would die of frustration if I had to drive in the
USA, where every single intersection, no matter how minor, has its
traffic lights..... (on ordinary streets, not motorways, of course - but
Brooklyn or New York.... yikes!).
--
Annabel Smyth
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/index.html
Website updated 9 May 2004

On Mon, 31 May 2004, Annabel Smyth wrote:

I would die of frustration if I had to drive in the USA, where every
single intersection, no matter how minor, has its traffic lights.....

That's not entirely true. There will generally not be a traffic signal at
an intersection between a major road and a minor road, although there are
exceptions in central business districts. Likewise, intersections between
two minor roads usually do not have traffic signals.

And of course, I have actually seen roundabouts in America (!).

(on ordinary streets, not motorways, of course - but Brooklyn or New
York.... yikes!).

Brooklyn is a part of New York City.
--
Michael Hoffman

What would really
help here in the USA is British style roundabouts.

Try Massachusetts. You too can drive like a Bostonian.

Jeremy Parker

"Michael Hoffman" wrote in message
news:Pine.WNT.4.58.0406010830400.2736@ZVAVZBB...
On Mon, 31 May 2004, Annabel Smyth wrote:

I would die of frustration if I had to drive in the USA, where every
single intersection, no matter how minor, has its traffic lights.....

That's not entirely true. There will generally not be a traffic signal at
an intersection between a major road and a minor road, although there are
exceptions in central business districts. Likewise, intersections between
two minor roads usually do not have traffic signals.

And of course, I have actually seen roundabouts in America (!).

(on ordinary streets, not motorways, of course - but Brooklyn or New
York.... yikes!).

Brooklyn is a part of New York City.
--
Michael Hoffman

Here in Illinois there is a specific formula for determining if/when a
traffic control is warranted, be it a stop sign, traffic signal, or simply a
yield sign. Being in a major metropolitan area - Chicago suburbs -
satisfying the requirement for X amount of traffic volume is reached fairly
quickly, it seems. Traffic signals seem to pop up like weeds, sprouting up
overnight - yes, I am exaggerating. In the northwest suburbs, there is one
traffic circle that I am aware of - been there many years. We used to go
sit and watch the fun as most people using it had not a clue what to do.
The circle is by an industrial area with many out-of-towners coming through
on a typical business day.

Interestingly enough, in a fast growing northern suburb of Indianapolis,
traffic circles are becoming quite common in new road construction. Drivers
seem a little tentative, not understanding proper traffic circle protocol,
but hopefully this will ease out and we Americans can take a lesson from our
British ancestors and keep the traffic flowing instead of sitting at a red
light wasting gasoline while absolutely no one is using the cross street.

Rich

In article , (Jeremy Parker) wrote:

What would really
help here in the USA is British style roundabouts.

Try Massachusetts. You too can drive like a Bostonian.

Just spent two weeks in MA, during which I came across about three
"rotaries". Anyone going to Boston is well-advised to park on the
edge and take the "T". The "Big Dig" is coming to its completion, but
some way to go yet!

One thing which struck me as very odd (apart from driving on the wrong
side of the road) was a number of quite major cross-roads where traffic
from all four directions is required to stop. They then look at each other
until one of them decides to proceed, hoping that the other will not do so
at the same time.

--
Peter Beale

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 15:21 +0100 (BST), (Peter Beale)
wrote:

One thing which struck me as very odd (apart from driving on the wrong
side of the road) was a number of quite major cross-roads where traffic
from all four directions is required to stop. They then look at each other
until one of them decides to proceed, hoping that the other will not do so
at the same time.

I like those four-way stops.

It's not supposed to be a free-for-all. Drivers should take it in
turns to move, with priority given to whomever arrived at the junction
first, and so on. IME it tends to work well - as long as everybody
plays by the rules.

The four-way stop has a significant benefit compared to a roundabout,
in that it is completely fair. It does not allow one heavily
trafficked route to monopolise the junction at peak times. I wish we
had them here.

HVB.