Vertigo58 Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 To be more specific, how many times have you driven through a very busy intersection and noticed that the signal lights are still suspended on cable instead of attached to a sturdy metal pole? It seems that a city as large and modern as Houston we would have them all to appear the same ie: on metal poles or even better as nice as they are in the Galleria area. This "cable hanging" is so dated & drearing looking. In extreme high winds they either crash down or go hay wire. Maybe we could hang clothes on them to dry as they appear to be a clothes line? Below are what I call before and after pics. The west coast even has the street signs illuminated for easy viewing at night. Houston catch up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 To be more specific, how many times have you driven through a very busy intersection and noticed that the signal lights are still suspended on cable instead of attached to a sturdy metal pole? It seems that a city as large and modern as Houston we would have them all to appear the same ie: on metal poles or even better as nice as they are in the Galleria area. This "cable hanging" is so dated & drearing looking. In extreme high winds they either crash down or go hay wire. Maybe we could hang clothes on them to dry as they appear to be a clothes line?Below are what I call before and after pics. The west coast even has the street signs illuminated for easy viewing at night.Houston catch up!not sure if unison is the word but why aren't they the same? It would cost too much money just to update the signals so they are all identical. The cables are used as a cost saving measure for wide intersections. it is more difficult to construct a metal pole over particularly wide intersections. Now some are being updated to the LED technology, but that's about the only updates i would expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 It is just part of the diversity that makes our beloved city soooooo unique. I am sure you already knew about Houston's diversity though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T 2 THA C Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Its funny because at some intersections in older parts of Houston, they have the metal pole signals that where crushed replaced with the wood powerline poles, crushed again and barely standing up just by a lil brace. Intersection that comes to mind is Mangum @ 34th. Also I believe they replaced the lights along the South and North Loop W when the resurfaced the feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 not sure if unison is the word but why aren't they the same? It would cost too much money just to update the signals so they are all identical. The cables are used as a cost saving measure for wide intersections. it is more difficult to construct a metal pole over particularly wide intersections. Now some are being updated to the LED technology, but that's about the only updates i would expect. Yep, I would say $ is the issue. I sure would like to see what architects and engineers foresee what future intersections will look like? I dont mean Jetson's future, but in the next decade or so. I think I will start drawing up my plans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Sigh! Any stick to beat our beloved city with, I guess.Span wire is a perfectly acceptable method of hanging signal heads. As someone else said earlier, for wide intersections, the cost of mast arms increase exponentially, as Houston is in a 100mph design wind speed zone. The mast arms and poles get huge and the foundations get monstrous. That can be quite a limiting factor as you can't dig four inches in Houston without hitting some sort of utility. Multiply that cost increase by the 2,200 or so signalized intersections in Houston......you're talking about real money.Internally illuminated street name signs are a cute gizmo, but offer only marginal visibility advantages over properly located signs with maintained retroreflective sheeting. Besides, shouldn't we be trying to lower our energy usage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vertigo58 Posted April 12, 2007 Author Share Posted April 12, 2007 (edited) Internally illuminated street name signs are a cute gizmo, but offer only marginal visibility advantages over properly located signs with maintained retroreflective sheeting. Besides, shouldn't we be trying to lower our energy usage? Maybe that explains their (Californias) rolling blackouts! I actually saw more of these up in the SFO Bay area opposed to Southern Cal. Edited April 14, 2007 by ssullivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Chenevert Posted April 12, 2007 Share Posted April 12, 2007 Its amazing what you can do with a 9% state income tax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Internally illuminated street name signs are a cute gizmo, but offer only marginal visibility advantages over properly located signs with maintained retroreflective sheeting. Besides, shouldn't we be trying to lower our energy usage?There was a story in the Beaumont paper about those going up over here a year and a half ago. It said that with those, which are LED-powered, along with the new LED stoplights the city was adopting, that they would still be using less energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technoevil Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Most of the intersections along the Katy Freeway that have alredy been re-done have traffic signals on large poles with iluiminated signs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDeb Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 (edited) There was a story in the Beaumont paper about those going up over here a year and a half ago. It said that with those, which are LED-powered, along with the new LED stoplights the city was adopting, that they would still be using less energy. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them, but LED-powered lights do not use less energy than a plain ole sign with retroreflective sheeting. Most of the intersections along the Katy Freeway that have alredy been re-done have traffic signals on large poles with iluiminated signs. You can get fancy with federal tax dollars. Edited April 13, 2007 by CDeb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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