interestedobserver

Part of that reason why we have those protected left turn signals is to avoid the yellow-trap.

Very interesting links and information. Thank you. I had never heard of nor thought about yellow-trap before.

Reviving an old thread...

I think you'll have a lot of supporters to modify the intersection signals/signs to allow left turns when the oncoming light is green. IMO it would make a noticable difference for everyone. There is one at Saturn and Hercules that has made a noticeable difference at peak travel times. this is the type of program the COH should implement if addressing congestion is a priority

Houston still has its fetish with protected only left turn operations... much to my dismay, the City just installed new traffic signals at OST and Bertner (It says Selma on Google Maps, but I think it's Bertner now after this road was widened to serve as a new thoroughfare into/out of the TMC). Of course the intersection now only allows left turns on protected arrows, which makes the gridlock worse during rush hour, and, to the detriment of the planet, cars are idling longer and polluting more. This is an example of another Houston intersection which has no visibility issues and hence no need for protected only left turns, but, for some reason, the City finds it essential.

Seems like a lose-lose-lose situation to me:

• more gridlock/longer commutes
• more pollution
• more money spent on gas by drivers

In case you can't tell, these protected only left turns really rub me the wrong way. Thanks for humoring me and reading my rant.

Just walked around the museum district. Lots of limbs covering Hermann Drive. Some big pine trees are down in Hermann Park but surprisingly all of the oaks that I saw survived. Those live oaks are tough! The paths are flooded and the storm knocked over an outhouse.

My apartment building has some roof damage - shingles all over the place and some minor flooding on the ground floor. Good thing it's not a condo or I'd have to help pay for that.

I'm still using my iPhone to connect (tethered to my laptop). Unfortunately the battery is going to die at som epoint though. No electricity here, and water is out too.

Your updates are very appreciated. Do you know anything about the Plaza Museum District apartments (specifically regarding water/power)? I left on Thursday when I realized I was woefully unprepared (little food, water). Wondering if it makes sense for me to return tomorrow.

I know this is likely a long shot, but many thanks for the valuable information you have already provided. Stay safe.

we know tons. enjoy

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...showtopic=12568

Thank you. I knew it had to be somewhere.

Mods, please delete this thread. Thanks.

Does anyone know anything else about this project or have any renderings? Thanks.

http://www.graycopartners.com/currentproje...museumplace.php

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=5300+Fannin+...039330156852974

Thanks for all the great replies. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who noticed some of these annoyances.

InterestedObserver: Please take some photos and upload them!

I would LOVE to see bad conditions of roads!

Ahhhh yes. The fetish with protected only left turn operation in Texas bugs the hell out of me. Very few intersections have protected/permitted operation. It seems to be the philosophy of most transportation agencies around here to only go to Prot/Perm operation if there is a congestion problem at the intersection that Prot/Perm operation would help.

BTW, there are no "weight sensors" in the pavement. The vehicle detectors are inductive loops. There is cable in the pavement with current running through it, generating a small magnetic field. When a big hunk of iron (like your car engine) rolls over the detector (and through the magnetic field), it changes the resonant frequency of the current in the cable, which places a call to the signal controller. We used to go "in" the "out" in parking areas with automatic arms by placing a large piece of angle iron on the ground in the middle of the detector that lets vehicles out of the parking area.

Typically if an intersection has detection in the through lanes, there will be detection in the left-turn lanes as well. The problem you notice could be with how the signal is phased (such as if one left-turn gets the green, the opposing one gets it as well, vehicle or no vehicle) or it could be a problem with vehicles making tight left turns across that lane (if there is no raised median). The COH leaves a lot to be desired in the operation of their traffic signals.

I do know in Dallas that virtually all intersections are prot/perm, which definitely helps relieve some congestion. Basically the only intersections that aren't are the ones with two left turn lanes.

I'm relatively new to the Houston area, having moved here a little over a year ago. I searched and couldn't find a thread on this topic, so if I overlooked something, please let me know and a mod can delete this post.

Why are so many streets in Houston in poor shape? It's not so much a problem of potholes (even though there are a lot of those), but rather, uneven, rough, and sometimes jarring surface streets that are not isolated spots. Kirby is one obvious example. Almeda around OST is another. Is this because of lack of funds, or is all the wet weather the primary culprit?

Tangentially related, why are so many left turns at intersections limited to when the arrow's illuminated? Obviously at some it's a matter of safety due to poor lines of sight, but at others this does not seem to be the case.

Finally, are there not weight sensors under the left turn lanes? Traffic could be more efficiently dispersed if cars weren't sitting at a red light due to a green arrow for the oncoming traffic despite no car having been waiting to turn left.

Thanks for any insight.

I might have been imagining the 'pulsating' effect. But for some reason the lighting, to me, doesn't seem to be staid. It appears to have some sort of movement to it... (I'm probably hallucinating, however...)

Here are some crappy camera phone shots from earlier tonight (click for larger version). Sorry for the quality.

I think last night was the first time they had the lighting on at the top. It's a rainbow affect which slowly pulsates, for lack of a better description.

If I remember tonight, I'll take a photo and post.

But it was a nice surprise, definitely unique, and should make a nice visual impact on the skyline. I have only seen it from very up close, but bet it looks good from far away as well.