31–40 of 56 posts
I used to take back roads and take my chances with speeding and stop signs, but now I find myself taking the main road way more now because I know I'll probably only stop at one light maximum, and I know how to time my driving.
My 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.
Earlier 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.
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 approa…
> 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.
This isn’t about money, it’s about the inherent shortsightedness of and staggering destruction wrought by bureaucrats of any country when they are given incentives of any kind. See also: private prisons, snake/rat bounty, et c.
To 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…
Even when cars do get up to speed, there's things like turning traffic vs. pedestrians. I suppose if they eliminated on-street parking and had dedicated turn lanes for both directions, it would work, but that's not happening any time soon.
I can actually make it down the entire length of a 1-way by going 25mph (the speed limit) and weaving between cars like a maniac, but that seems rather unsafe (not to mention illegal).
> 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…
Competently handled green waves will save transport energy from all sources. And, this kind of thing cries out to be integrated with adaptive cruise control (yeah, Elon, the thing you call "autopilot").
Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
The bulk of traffic does 5-10km/h over the limit, so perhaps traffic light timing is based on that.
* Reddit is blocked at work, but it was probably something like r/townplanning
1) the Valencia bike commute green wave (named as such with posted speed)
When it's broken for some reason it's very noticeable and unfortunate.
2) the various coordinated designated auto throughways which make up for the lack of in-city access freeways
Except when you're going against the direction, like when my wife was in labor. :|