Traffic lights

All I remember from when I was a kid in the Midwest is green, yellow, red like they are now. Don't recall the green yellow part?

Hi,

Its possible this sequence was peculiar to just Pittsburgh area or maybe Pennsylvania traffic control regulations.

I remember what you mention rrman, but before the three light sequence phase, which you posted, there also were two sequence phase automated traffic lights, having a sequence of 'Green,' 'Green''Red' (known as the pause phase), then just turned to 'Red'.

Then, it repeated itself by first going directly just to the 'Green' phase and so on.

These were through out N.Y. City, in N.Y. State and from what I can remember in this was from the late '40's and sometime by the mid. '60's came the three phase lights.

I understand, in the earlier years, in N.Y.C., from about the'30's and '40's, some lights were turned off, after business hours.  Also, during those years, in areas which had no, or little vehicular traffic, both day and night, the lights were usually turned off.

There weren't many traffic lights and not that many 'STOP' signs, in the '30's and '40's, as there are, like now.

Then, like now, if a traffic light is not functioning properly, or is not illuminated, it will be 'OBYED' as a 'STOP' sign, until repaired!!!!!!

AND, in those years, there were round, yellow color 'STOP' signs, as well as, yellow, color, triangular 'YIELD' signs.

We now have, in some municipalities: 'School' and just 'ROADWAY' 'Speed Cameras,' 'Red Light Cameras,' which in addition to the 'RED' light, the camera also indicate the speed of the vehicles which approach and/or which go through the intersection, that most people don't know about!

ALSO, some municipalities want to install 'STOP Sign Cameras!!!!!!!'  

Ralph

rrman

I think the flashing green is just to get your attention so you start 

Clem

The flashing green allows you to make a left turn across traffic.

Thank you Larry,     around here some lights have a small white light in the center of the green to alert people they can move, Really bright and only a couple of quick flashes. or a flashing yellow to allow left turn on red.

Sam

Somewhere sometime I remember seeing that pattern. probably in a older movie. Probably done when traffic lights were new? 

Some of the older controllers had to make contacts before they broke others. Thus both lights would be on momentarly. With the old Crouse Hind drum controllers you could have cut the wheels to do this no problem.

Was this an early form of pedestrian crossing?

Jamie

We have a blinking arrow for this. Started a couple years or so ago around here. I believe it is yellow though.

I just saw the flashing green in Vancouver but not in USA, so figured it was a Canadian regulation/code.

The flashing yellow seems to be a recent change I noticed in Iowa.  Maybe was in other states before Iowa.  Whenever its used, there is a placard sign next to it explaining the flashing yellow.

I know I can program a model traffic light controller to make lights do whatever.  Just wondered if the green Yellow combo was a 1950s thing that was removed due to safety concerns.

Hi rrman • All I can remember about this question is that Red is always on top, & flashing green then steady green then yellow, then red. In Michigan you will see something like this for a controlled left hand turn lane.

In Canada, and until recently, a flashing green was called an advanced green and it allowed for left turns during the flashing sequence.  In the last few years this has gone to a green arrow.

I prefer a Green Arrow to a Green Lantern.

Its not all standard.  There have been many wild and wonderful traffic light configurations nothing like what we see today. Many old traffic lights only had two lights, red and green, and some are still in use.  Restorer videos on You Tube are a good source of demonstrations and information.

There are the upside down traffic lights of Tipperary Hill in Syracuse' New York.

Signalfan.com has pages on traffic signals and historical signals.

How about a traffic light with the green on the bottom in one direction and green on the top in another direction?  Its a Darley C-810.

Here's a green traffic light with the green light in the middle.

This is the full Wildshorse You Tube Channel traffic light playlist with 23 restored traffic light videos.

On the west coast there was unique Acme Semaphore traffic light with its stop and go semaphore arms.  A clanging bell warned of changing lights.  Now at a busy intersection you would have several bells all dinging very 20-60 seconds!  Acme Semaphore traffic lights were in use from the 1920s until the late 1950s. Portland, Oregon also had some of these.

I first came across two phase traffic lights in Manhattan in 1958 and 1959 during family vacations. These for the most part are all gone now, but every once in a while you may here about one survivor somewhere.

And, no it was not a young kids imagination!

Thanks for the link.  Noticed several lights at the site were referenced as having a green&yellow then yellow sequence.  So guess I wasn't smok'in a funny cigarette as a kid

I've seen the lights with green on top, yellow in the center and red on the bottom at an intersection, but I can't remember if it was in Pa.

Also, red and green, side, by side, at toll booths. 

Ralph