Remember folks: lights timed for 40 are also timed for 80. /s
[deleted]
Green Wave
21–30 of 56 posts
Re: Green Wave
#22My city has lights timed to ensure that signals turn red just before the wave of traffic reaches it. You can see the signals have antenna on them pointed at the next intersection. It is infuriating on a level I can't describe. My guess is they are trying to reduce accidents or they are trying to make more tax money by getting people to burn more gasoline.
Do you have a source for this? Driving in city traffic can be frustrating, but I wonder if the antennas you see are for emergency vehicle signal preemption, or serve some other purpose.
Re: Green Wave
#23Best green wave I have ever experienced is going north on 10th ave in NYC. You can drive for 100 blocks without stopping if there isn't too much traffic and you time the lights correctly.
Re: Green Wave
#24The town where I live (in the Netherlands) has green waves for cyclists. It's lovely to experience and also a good way for the council to encourage this sustainable, healthy mode of transport.
That's really cool. Though it does seem to remove almost 50% of the benefits listed in this entry, but those seem to be focused on fuel-consuming vehicles rather than bikes.
Making biking preferable and easier and faster is a great way to reduce fuel consumption by getting people out of cars and onto bikes. The best way to reduce fuel consumption is to make driving undesirable.
Re: Green Wave
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this phenomenon shows the importance of communicating to the drivers that a green wave system is in effect. You can't really fault people for driving myopically if they don't have high level information.
Agreed, I once had to tell an out of towner "just drive the speed limit, you'll get all green lights."
I've noticed (because I once read somewhere) that driving 5-10mph _over_ the limit results in the best timing. This is in both Pennsylvania and Los Angeles.
Re: Green Wave
#26> In the UK, in 2009, it was revealed that the Department for Transport had previously discouraged green waves as they reduced fuel usage, and thus less revenue was raised from fuel taxes. Despite this government Webtag documents were only updated in 2011. It is still unclear if the economic appraisal software used to apply these guidelines has also been updated and if the new guidelines are being applied to new proj…
Right? Every fiber of my body screams "JUST INCREASE THE TAX!". Figure out the fuel usage drop, if any, and adjust the tax accordingly. Hell, I'd pay double fuel taxes if I didn't have to fight red lights anymore.
Re: Green Wave
#27To help pay for tuition, one summer I drove a university shuttle in the evenings after finishing my work-study job. At that time, the lights on Walnut and Chestnut streets in West Philly were set up with green waves. The best place to ride the wave was obviously at its tail, entering each intersection a little before the light would turn yellow. Traffic there was light-to-none, and its flow far smoother and safer tha…
I think this phenomenon shows the importance of communicating to the drivers that a green wave system is in effect. You can't really fault people for driving myopically if they don't have high level information.
That might work, though few drivers in the U.S. heed speed limits even in construction and school zones, where there are typically large brightly-colored signs and flashing lights and the stakes are much higher.
Also, since the bad behavior on display at the front of a green wave is pervasive in pretty much all traffic scenarios, it seems like a modicum of driver training might ultimately be the most foolproof approach.
Re: Green Wave
#28Folsom street in the Mission District of SF has one at 15mph. Perfect if you are on a bike. Keeps the average speed of drivers down in the residential areas, and if you know the timing is at 15mph, you might as well just cruise.
Re: Green Wave
#29My city has lights timed to ensure that signals turn red just before the wave of traffic reaches it. You can see the signals have antenna on them pointed at the next intersection. It is infuriating on a level I can't describe. My guess is they are trying to reduce accidents or they are trying to make more tax money by getting people to burn more gasoline.
Do you have a source for this? Driving in city traffic can be frustrating, but I wonder if the antennas you see are for emergency vehicle signal preemption, or serve some other purpose.
No sources other than observations from myself and all of my friends and family going to work the same route every day.
Re: Green Wave
#30My city has lights timed to ensure that signals turn red just before the wave of traffic reaches it. You can see the signals have antenna on them pointed at the next intersection. It is infuriating on a level I can't describe. My guess is they are trying to reduce accidents or they are trying to make more tax money by getting people to burn more gasoline.
Do you have a source for this? Driving in city traffic can be frustrating, but I wonder if the antennas you see are for emergency vehicle signal preemption, or serve some other purpose.
I would be happy to capture some video though. Driving on long streets after hours it is especially noticeable.