LA traffic lights get in sync to ease congestion
#1
LA traffic lights get in sync to ease congestion
LA traffic lights get in sync to ease congestion
Los Angeles is moving forward with a plan to ease traffic congestion by synchronizing all of the city's 4,398 stoplights. While smaller municipalities have followed similar plans in the past, LA is the first major city to take a stab at getting all of its lights to play nice together. If it works, the new system could increase average traffic speeds by 16 percent and reduce travel times by 12 percent. We imaging reducing the amount of time cars spend idling at a stop light should help reduce fuel consumption by a decent margin as well.
LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said the move will reduce the city's carbon emissions by one metric ton while saving drivers one day of waiting in traffic at the same time. The system can also be utilized by emergency responders to reduce response times for ambulances and fire trucks.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/26/l...stion-w-video/
#2
Lexus Fanatic
While, of course, synch-ing the lights certainly won't hurt, when you get the kind of insane sprawl and traffic that you find in the SoCal/L.A. and D.C.-Baltimore areas, there's not really a whole lot you can do. Too many cars for a given stretch of road is simply too many, no matter how you time the lights.
#5
Lexus Fanatic
anyone remember being able to bet the lights to change by flashing them with the high beams. Sounds like BS but works. Supposed to help ambulances get through lights faster
#7
Lexus Test Driver
I know here, the only emergency vehicles that can change the lights are fire trucks. They have a device made by 3M(I believe) that can change any traffic light. How I would love to get a hold of one of those.
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#8
Lexus Test Driver
I would love to get one also, I just wonder what the fine would be though
#10
Lexus Champion
- The receivers are set high up, at the height of the traffic lights. I don't think high beams could reach that high.
- The receivers react to high frequency flashes (10 Hz -- 10 times a second -- or higher). I don't think anybody could flash their high beams that quickly.
#11
Super Moderator
They've had synchronized lights out in the Coachella Valley area (La Quinta/Palm Desert/Indio, ~3 hours south of LA) for close to 20 years, and it's great. You can easily go 5 miles or more, only stopping once.
#12
Lexus Champion
gee what a concept!!!!
here in bass-ackwards Houston we just widen roads and build overpasses rather than sync the stop lights (downtown is timed, but it took an act of congress).
here in bass-ackwards Houston we just widen roads and build overpasses rather than sync the stop lights (downtown is timed, but it took an act of congress).
Last edited by bagwell; 02-27-13 at 09:00 AM.
#13
Out of Warranty
Downtown Houston's lights (at least in the northwest-southeast direction) have been synched for at least 40 years. Now and then some brilliant "traffic engineer" comes along and tinkers with the timing - which totally screws things up for a few weeks until they take them back to the default setting. I did it just yesterday, sailing through downtown on surface streets, watching that the speedo was locked onto 25-26 mph, and never even having to lift for lights. The trouble is that you don't know everything's been re-synched until you've driven several blocks while watching the lights carefully.
Then there's Main Street that today is dominated by our light rail service. If a train's coming, it gets the right-of-way - REALLY screwing up the lights as you cross Main. All the warning lights, whistles and bells are meaningless to the brain-dead motorist who is deeply involved with his phone, music, GPS (almost useless in city canyons) . . . as evidenced by our light-rail accident rate.
Then there's Main Street that today is dominated by our light rail service. If a train's coming, it gets the right-of-way - REALLY screwing up the lights as you cross Main. All the warning lights, whistles and bells are meaningless to the brain-dead motorist who is deeply involved with his phone, music, GPS (almost useless in city canyons) . . . as evidenced by our light-rail accident rate.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
During late night and early-morning (pre-dawn) hours, when traffic is at a minimum, many lights don't need the red/yellow/green cycle at all.....they can simply be set on flashing red or yellow. A lot of jurisdictions, though, won't do that.....they keep the triple-cycle on around the clock, causing many stops for nothing.
#15
Lexus Champion
Downtown Houston's lights (at least in the northwest-southeast direction) have been synched for at least 40 years. Now and then some brilliant "traffic engineer" comes along and tinkers with the timing - which totally screws things up for a few weeks until they take them back to the default setting. I did it just yesterday, sailing through downtown on surface streets, watching that the speedo was locked onto 25-26 mph, and never even having to lift for lights. The trouble is that you don't know everything's been re-synched until you've driven several blocks while watching the lights carefully.
Mayor Bill White made it a point to oversee the correct SEQUENCING of downtown houston traffic signals....and that wasn't 40 years ago.
Last edited by bagwell; 02-28-13 at 12:32 PM.