Houston Traffic Lights

[mollusk]

Somehow it either never gets done, or it simply doesn't work.

 

My vote goes with "simply doesn't work."  

 

Downtown used to be real easy with old fashioned clockwork, largely because of the tidy grid pattern of alternating one way streets.  During off hours lights were synchronized so that one could pass from one end to the other at roughly 25 mph, albeit with a frequent interruption crossing Main due to its two way traffic.  If one came flying up to an intersection at a stale red, did the turn after a pause, and then poured on the coal for the cross street, one could also just catch the wave of green lights.  Timing was adjusted at peak hours so that all lights in a given direction were red or green on all parallel streets.  It worked.

 

The allegedly high tech, computerized, optimized system in place now sort of works on the north/south streets west of Main, plus Fannin and San Jacinto, so long as it's not peak traffic.  East/west (particularly trying to cross Main with the insane headroom overkill Metro puts in front of the trains), east of San Jacinto, or at peak traffic times, it just bites.

[Naviguessor]

And...it hasn't been revolutionary since we all started wearing digital watches. I can't imagine how much time/money the city/citizens would save if they employed this "voodoo" phantom technology. Other, entire cities, are equipped with it.

[Ross]

They should be eliminated in the medical center

 

That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard this year. Eliminating the left turns in the TMC area would make it nearly impossible to get into a large portion of the parking and building entrances without going 20 blocks South on Fannin to make a U-turn. Many of those turns offer no means to go around the block.

[brian0123]

That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard this year. Eliminating the left turns in the TMC area would make it nearly impossible to get into a large portion of the parking and building entrances without going 20 blocks South on Fannin to make a U-turn. Many of those turns offer no means to go around the block.

 

When I mentioned earlier about eliminating left turns, I was proposing it mostly along S Main (and other bordering roads). The only places left's should be allowed are Cambridge, maybe University, and W Holcombe. We need to start thinking of S Main, Cambridge, W Holcombe, and S Braeswood almost like mini (I hate to say this) freeways instead of 1980's designed intersections where everyone gets their own stoplight. The bordering roads should be redesigned to move traffic quickly around TMC like our freeways encircle Downtown. I don't mean increase speed limits, but just let cars move instead of stopping them every which way.

 

In other words, the TMC is growning into another Downtown... yet the roads encompassing it are still designed mainly for a much smaller TMC, with old technology, and inefficient use of space... which creates the logjam we see around the TMC today.

 

In my ideal world, they'd have enough money to build a S Main TMC bypass (either tunneling under like the Holcombe/Main intersection), or going over, and allow S Main at grade to take on a greater role of providing quick access along the TMC.

[mollusk]

Rail leaves Main at Wheeler, and goes through the TMC on Fannin.  It was inserted long after so many of the surrounding buildings put their garage access on the same street.  IMHO, this segment would be an ideal place to put the rail underground, specifically because of the density.   Main in that area ain't so bad, though it would probably look just like Fannin does now if the rail were on it.

 

 

[Slick Vik]

That's one of the most ridiculous things I've heard this year. Eliminating the left turns in the TMC area would make it nearly impossible to get into a large portion of the parking and building entrances without going 20 blocks South on Fannin to make a U-turn. Many of those turns offer no means to go around the block.

Or you could just take main.

[Ross]

Or you could just take main.

Have you ever been to that area? You cannot get to most of the turn ins on the East side of Fannin from Main. That's why the left turns across the rail were built in the first place.

[Slick Vik]

Have you ever been to that area? You cannot get to most of the turn ins on the East side of Fannin from Main. That's why the left turns across the rail were built in the first place.

Yes I go to that area frequently. There are small streets that connect fannin and main. You could go up or down main make a right and make a right if it's on the southbound side, or make a left if it's on the northbound side.

[Ross]

Yes I go to that area frequently. There are small streets that connect fannin and main. You could go up or down main make a right and make a right if it's on the southbound side, or make a left if it's on the northbound side.

 

and with all of the out of towners, and suburbanites, who go there, there will be mass confusion. There's nothing wrong with the left turns on Fannin.

 

 

[IronTiger]

There are thousands of stoplights in Houston, most of which are of the cheap "hanging lights" variety that tend to crop up near construction zones. Trying to sync them all would be enormously expensive, but I agree that there are major corridors (Westheimer, I imagine) that could use a re-do.

[livincinco]

and with all of the out of towners, and suburbanites, who go there, there will be mass confusion. There's nothing wrong with the left turns on Fannin.

You do realize that you're having a discussion of traffic flow with someone who's stated objective is to make car travel so painful that it forces everyone to rail, right?

Below is a nice write up on Adaptive Signal Control Techologies. References implementation of an ACS lite system in an area of Houston.

http://www.its-ct.org/documents/StudentGrant/2012AdaptiveSignalReport.pdf

[Dakota79]

Shepherd is another example from Richmond to Allen Parkway. One car trying to turn left causes us to miss 4-5 traffic signals. And since it's the westernmost bridge over Buffalo Bayou before you get to the loop, it's generally jammed. Perhaps the fools that try to turn left could figure out a few right turns for their route! GRRR.

[livincinco]

Shepherd is another example from Richmond to Allen Parkway. One car trying to turn left causes us to miss 4-5 traffic signals. And since it's the westernmost bridge over Buffalo Bayou before you get to the loop, it's generally jammed. Perhaps the fools that try to turn left could figure out a few right turns for their route! GRRR.

Slightly offtopic, but it's actually pretty interesting (at least to a nerd like me) how routing software is starting to account for this. UPS is legendary in transportation circles for its ability to route its trucks so that they virtually never make left turns. Commercial mapping apps are getting very good at compensating for traffic. It'll be nice when those two come together.

[brian0123]

I went to the TMC traffic meeting last night and spoke with a guy from the city's traffic dept. He told me that the lights (when blinking) mean there was a system fault that alerts a crew to come out and make sure all controllers for the light are working. He said they do time the lights along S Main, but traffic cops (who drive his dept crazy and they can't control) mess things up... as well as people going in and out of lanes in such a congested area.

 

My idea about pulling out signals along S Main along the Med Center is something their dept has actually being trying to do, but the TMC institutions fight it because they like having lights for their own garages.

 

 

[mollusk]

^ When the alternative is going to be setting Splendora's Finest out in the middle of South Main stopping traffic at whim, maybe having the garage traffic lights ain't entirely a bad thing.

[rechlin]

Speaking of traffic lights, I see that they are replacing a bunch of the traffic lights downtown.  While I like that they are more visible, no longer just being at the right side of the street, I am perplexed at the arrangement.  All over Texas and Houston, all traffic lights are horizontally arranged, which is different from most places in the US.  However, these new lights are vertically arranged!  Does anyone know if this is a new trend, or if they are just doing this downtown, or what's going on?

 

[JLWM8609]

Speaking of traffic lights, I see that they are replacing a bunch of the traffic lights downtown.  While I like that they are more visible, no longer just being at the right side of the street, I am perplexed at the arrangement.  All over Texas and Houston, all traffic lights are horizontally arranged, which is different from most places in the US.  However, these new lights are vertically arranged!  Does anyone know if this is a new trend, or if they are just doing this downtown, or what's going on?

 

 

I've only seen vertical signals like these in Houston along the new light rail lines. I asked a lady who works for the COH with signals about the new vertical arrangements and she thinks it may have something to do with visibility along the line.

 

We aren't the only city in TX to have vertical signals though. I've seen them in Galveston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas.

[DaTrain]

I've only seen vertical signals like these in Houston along the new light rail lines. I asked a lady who works for the COH with signals about the new vertical arrangements and she thinks it may have something to do with visibility along the line.

 

We aren't the only city in TX to have vertical signals though. I've seen them in Galveston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas.

From a closer look I think the reason the vertical signals are arranged that way as opposed to the typical horizontal look you see all over is due to the size of the traffic arm stick.  The city just wanted to fit as many signals on that stick as possible based on regulations.

 

As for cities in Texas that have vertical traffic signals, Beaumont and Amarillo take the cake on having the most.

[technoevil]

From a closer look I think the reason the vertical signals are arranged that way as opposed to the typical horizontal look you see all over is due to the size of the traffic arm stick.  The city just wanted to fit as many signals on that stick as possible based on regulations.

 

As for cities in Texas that have vertical traffic signals, Beaumont and Amarillo take the cake on having the most.

 

There are a lot in DFW, especially on the Fort Worth side, but also a lot around Dallas.