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When I first moved to Wisconsin, the horizontal lights bothered me. I've now been here nearly 5 years and don't even notice them anymore. The intersections in Madison, have a combination of horizontal (over the road) and vertical (median and side of the road) traffic lights.
Yellow plate stoplights seem to be disappearing for whatever reason, being replaced by black on black plate stoplights in my area. I have stated before that yellow plated stoplights are more visible during low light and foggy conditions during daylight hours than black plated stoplights.
I grew up on the west coast and in Alaska, where black plates are the norm.
I then spent six years in Pennsylvania where yellow plates are frequent (maybe even universal).
I hated the yellow plates. Black is much easier to see against a bright sky. It’s also a greater contrast to the actual light balls themselves, so it’s easier to see the light and what color it is.
As to the main point of this thread, I prefer vertically-mounted lights likely because it’s what I’m used to, but I can handle horizontal ones—unless they do like New Mexico does and put the green left-turn arrow to the right of the red ball. Makes no sense. I’ve almost started going straight through an intersection multiple times this week because of that.
Just to revive this fun (but really unimportant thread), in my area the flashing yellow on traffic lights seem to be more and more common. I think this has replaced a green with a yield sign, or a flashing green in recent years. Seems to be a much better signal, and most driver’s get it. As for traffic light box colors are concerned the trend continues to be a black/yellow combo in most States.
As to the main point of this thread, I prefer vertically-mounted lights likely because it’s what I’m used to, but I can handle horizontal ones—unless they do like New Mexico does and put the green left-turn arrow to the right of the red ball. Makes no sense. I’ve almost started going straight through an intersection multiple times this week because of that.
Believe it or not, New Mexico is doing exactly what the federal government is telling them to do. Green arrows on horizontal traffic lights are to be set toward the right of the signal housing. This according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Section 4D.10
(Page 27 of the PDF. Illustrations begin on Page 38.)
This is probably the biggest reason why I don't like horizontal signals. My gut instinct tells me that a left turn arrow should be the left-most signal, yet it's actually toward the right side. And my gut tells me that traffic lights go green-yellow-red, so the signals should be in that order, reading left to right. But it's the opposite. This is never a problem with a vertical signal. The green arrow is always on the bottom.
Horizontal tend to be in area with high winds. Many Beach area have Horizontal so they don't get damaged in hurricane force winds,
Thanks for that. First time I saw it was in Morehead City, NC and I didn’t know what was happening. I felt like I should be on a race track. I couldn’t do that every day. Hurts my brain.
DFW has a mix of both. Almost all lights are attached to poles rather than wires which looks cleaner.
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