Stop Here on Red

[IronTiger]

One of the strange things about Houston, I've felt, is the "Stop Here on Red" signs (they're not at every section, but I've seen at least one somewhere in University Place/Upper Kirby, and I suspect there are more), even when it's not at a railroad/light rail crossing. Is it for emergency vehicles? People who are too lazy to find the stop line, what? I just kind of felt like there wasn't a purpose for it. An Internet search mentions that there's one in San Antonio to maybe try to prevent cutting, but is it a problem at inner-city sections of Houston?

[20thStDad]

Usually it's to give trucks room to turn, if it's a left turn lane to keep that lane farther back, or to keep people out of the crosswalk. I've seen lots of these in Baton Rouge. Drivers there are generally worse than here, maybe they need more tips.

[sevfiv]

Yeah, I haven't seen the signs much but I wish there were more (in addition to the white markings for where to stop) where a narrow road meets another and lets turning traffic on to that road have adequate room at the 45^ angle.

I know there are a few around Rice like at eastbound Sunset at Main St. and westbound Rice Blvd. at Greenbriar..

[brucesw]

Usually it's to give trucks room to turn, if it's a left turn lane to keep that lane farther back, or to keep people out of the crosswalk. I've seen lots of these in Baton Rouge. Drivers there are generally worse than here, maybe they need more tips.

And buses. I first observed on Alabama @ S. Shepherd - guy hadn't stopped at the white line, had to back up for a Metro bus making a right off of Shepherd.

Another reason - Bissonnet inbound @ Gessner, the white line and signs are 30 yards back from the intersection, so that there are no obstacles for emergency vehicles exiting HFD # 68. Takes people some time to get used to stopping that far back from the intersection and one or two frequently don't. There's possibly a similar setup at HFD # 16 on Richmond at Dunleavy? Mostly fire stations seem to be mid-block instead of at intersections, tho.

[IronTiger]

Usually it's to give trucks room to turn, if it's a left turn lane to keep that lane farther back, or to keep people out of the crosswalk. I've seen lots of these in Baton Rouge. Drivers there are generally worse than here, maybe they need more tips.

I actually haven't seen too much of them in Baton Rouge, even though I have been to BR multiple times, except for that continous flow intersection on Airline Highway. Though I would think the Houston/Baton Rouge driver situation is a toss-up. To be fair, I haven't seen a Houstonian treat a merging lane like a yield, however.

[texas911]

I'd just be happy with "Slower Traffic Keep Right" signs.

[samagon]

They are also in frequent use in construction areas.

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[Geoff8201]

Trust me, these are needed for all the reasons posted above.

I've seen lately people walking through crosswalks having to walk around the cars that stopped right in them, I've too have seen people back up in the center left turn lanes to accommodate not just buses but any larger vehicle at narrow intersections, people completely ignoring the "No Right Turn on Red" signs and a few people later at night treat a red light like just a stop sign.