This is part four of an ongoing series on traffic signals. Part one and part two of the Spotters Guide were about how to identify the manufacturer, model, and approximate age of traffic signal equipment as seen in the Twin Cities. This then continued with the series originally titled “Traffic Signal Trivia” that went into […]
Here is part 3 in my ongoing series of articles on traffic signals. Part 1 covered vehicle signals in general, and part 2 covered left turn indications specifically. This is really a continuation of part 2, so I won’t re-explain some terminology covered there. But flashing yellow arrows are important enough to deserve their own […]
This is part two of a four part series of “Traffic Signal Trivia”, dealing with some history and interesting facts concerning traffic signals. Part 1 covered vehicle signals in general, but left turns are a whole story in themselves, so here we continue. It didn’t take long after the introduction of traffic signal until left […]
HAWK signals are one of many strategies to empower pedestrians trying to cross busy streets. Push the button (yes a beg button, but think of it more as a command button), and the lights, which had been flashing, change to solid red, so cars stop and you can safely and respectably cross the street. This in […]
Updated November 6, 2014* Many veterans have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with permanent, disabling wounds. Many suffer head traumas from concussions or fractured skulls when vehicles they’re traveling in are blown up by Improvised Explosive Devices. Pedestrians and Cyclists in Saint Paul are also seeing combat type head traumas—like Sowinta Kay, age 20, who was […]
Previously I covered some of the history of the traffic signals in service in the area, as well as how to recognize them in the field. Due to length I didn’t really have time to detour into more of the general history of signals, so I’m taking a chance to do so now. The […]
(In the, What have we learned in 77 years? Department)
Although St. Paul’s traffic signals deserve most of the blame for slowing the Green Line, there’s room for improvement in Minneapolis as well. To be fair, Minneapolis deserves praise for its signal timing through the University of Minnesota campus, where trains are seldom delayed. They’ve also established a very good progression for westbound trains from […]
I once had a quite lengthy conversation with a traffic engineer—about seven seconds. We were discussing if an intersection should include no-turn-on-red to increase safety for bicycle riders and pedestrians using an adjacent MUP. The engineer’s concern was that this would delay drivers by an average of seven seconds each. This was fascinating, as it […]
The wave of new “Complete Streets” laws require cities to develop “Complete Streets Plans” and new street design manuals. Street design manuals are like smart phone contracts or software download agreements. They tend to be so mind-numbingly boring and full of technical jargon that, rather than read them, we just click “agree.” Later on, we […]