Sideways traffic lights :| (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: neighborhood, preschool, legal)

[taraox]

I'm moving to Texas in the next 2 weeks, and noticed while I was visiting that the traffic lights are sideways.. I'll be picking up a Texas drivers handguide at some point but I was just wondering if these work the same as vertical traffic lights (red everyone stops, green everyone goes etc), or if each light is for a certain lane?? I've never seen this before and found it kind of confusing. Also, is there a special reason they're sideways? Or is it 'just because'?

[lonestar2007]

They work the same. As to the reason, I guess just pick an explanation that sounds logical to you, such a more clearance, sturdier in high wind, etc.

Also remember, the same question could be asked of why the lights hang vertical rather than horizontal.

[Westerntraveler]

whenever theres an intersection with just horizontal traffic lights be careful cuz at least for me I have come close to running them.

[Willsson]

Generally, either horizontal or vertical light at an intersection will apply to all lanes traveling in the direction of applicable lanes. If you have a horizontal traffic light that includes a green or yellow left turn arrow then there will probably be a marked lane(s) for left turn only. In some cases there is not a 'left only' lane. In that case, that direction will probably have a solid green as well as a left arrow - an indicator a left turn is safe. That arrow will go out before the solid green goes yellow. If there is no oncoming traffic and there is a solid green light then you may make the left turn without an arrow.

If there are no marked lanes then assume the left arrow is for your far left lane only. Right turn on red is legal - everywhere (excepting onto a one way that is not flowing to your right) UNLESS there is a NO RIGHT TURN on RED sign. Before making a right on red, you MUST stop to observe oncoming traffic.

[case44]

Originally Posted by taraox

I'm moving to Texas in the next 2 weeks, and noticed while I was visiting that the traffic lights are sideways.. I'll be picking up a Texas drivers handguide at some point but I was just wondering if these work the same as vertical traffic lights (red everyone stops, green everyone goes etc), or if each light is for a certain lane?? I've never seen this before and found it kind of confusing. Also, is there a special reason they're sideways? Or is it 'just because'?

The basics still work the same. With horizontals, red is on the left and green is on the right.

[jaybb]

Originally Posted by taraox

I'm moving to Texas in the next 2 weeks, and noticed while I was visiting that the traffic lights are sideways.. I'll be picking up a Texas drivers handguide at some point but I was just wondering if these work the same as vertical traffic lights (red everyone stops, green everyone goes etc), or if each light is for a certain lane?? I've never seen this before and found it kind of confusing. Also, is there a special reason they're sideways? Or is it 'just because'?

No--I believe in Texas the lights work differently. Red means proceed with caution, yellow means do not proceed because a school bus is approaching, and green means you are operating an unsafe car that is not environmentally friendly. Every State has its own rules.

[case44]

Horizontal traffic lights are just basically a Texas style. It's the standard fare that is mostly preferred by TXDOT. There are actually several states which employ this technique, and Texas just happens to be one of them. Now, this is also not exclusive to every Texas city, as Fort Worth and San Antonio and the areas around them use primarily a vertical installation on all overhead signals (San Antonio did try switching the other way, but they've gone back). Some cities used to employ verticals (Dallas, Wichita Falls, and Amarillo) but have since switched to the horizontal style in the last twenty to thirty years. Where our style is concerned, as to why that is, I don't know, but it does date back many years. I've actually seen some old pictures somewhere of some old horizontal signals used in Houston and El Paso, but the trouble is, I can't locate the source.

[txstate]

as long as green is go and red is stop...

[cy_flembeck]

I spend some time in Dallas on occasion and if you have a lifetime of your eyes and brain being trained on vertical lights, the horizontal lights can be a little tricky. A couple of times as I approached an intersection, I simply have not "locked onto" the lights like I normally would for vertical lights. I have had no real problems but it is definitely an adjustment.

[TXsurburbanmom]

The lights in my San Antonio neighborhood are horizontal. Other than a few installed on hills to warn about the upcoming light, most on the far northside are horizontal. I'm really going to have to pay attention now to see if I can find some vertical lights here or if I'm just imagining they are all horizontal. I know several for sure because we've had some good storm this year that knocked some loose and I had to drive under them.

I noticed in CA a few years ago that they were horizontal. I took a photo of a street name on a horizontal traffic light -it was a family name- I remember the arm moving with the wind. I remember some in NC as well because it was the first time I dealt with the flashing yellow left turn arrow. I sat forever at my son's preschool because it was only yellow not green so I looked at it a long long time before I ever got to turn across traffic