Anyone ever been on an onramp when the meter was turning on? (freeway, area)

[CrossCountryTrip]

Like at 2:59:59pm or any time right before the lights and signs come on? I always wondered what would happen if you were already 40mph on the on ramp and all of the sudden the meter and the red light enforcement camera turns on.

[flyonpa]

Rules: For the start up of Ramp Meteing from US DOT


Tor educe the probability of rear-end collisions, a soft-start of theramp metering sequence is recommended. The soft-start sequence for atwo lane ramp meter is typically as follows:

1. Activate the Flashing Beacon
2. Wait 10 seconds
3. Display a green ball in the primary lane while second lane signal remains dark.
4. Begin normal metering operation

[2Easy]

Our freeway control lights don't have cameras but if yours don't have a yellow signal and you can't stop for the red, I can't see how you get a ticket for that. And at the least the photo should be time stamped for seconds after the light came on so you can fight it. Maybe they just toss tickets within 10 seconds of coming on?

[pete6032]

We don't have cameras but when the light is on the generally accepted rule is that if there are no cars currently stopped at the onramp light the the first two cars can just run the red light and continue onto the freeway without stopping, then the next cars behind them must stop and wait.

So if there's a group of 10 cars turning onto the freeway and there's no one stopped at either of the on-ramp lights, cars 1 and 2 can just go and don't need to stop, but cars 3-10 would have to stop at the lights (in two lines) and wait for it to turn green.

[MIKEETC]

Originally Posted by CrossCountryTrip

Like at 2:59:59pm or any time right before the lights and signs come on? I always wondered what would happen if you were already 40mph on the on ramp and all of the sudden the meter and the red light enforcement camera turns on.

I have not observed enforcement cameras in the LA area so if it happened here I'd say nothing would happen.

[on a side note, I've noticed that the meter activates at random times depending on traffic load and is not time dependent]