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Location: Moose Jaw, in between the Moose's butt and nose.
5,152 posts, read 8,552,787 times
Reputation: 2038
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At least in America, still have regular running stop lights, between 12a and 6a (or even 10p to 6a in some of the smaller cities). It makes no sense whatsoever.
Just about any traffic light during this time, except in say, places like Times Square and most American Downtowns, should be flashing red. The amount of tail pipe emissions, even though it may not be a great amount, has to be as effective as stuff light LED light bulbs.
Is it a cost factor, too much money to program the lights so they could do this?
Take it one step further; turn off all the "security lights"!
Even here in Billings, Montana, if you go downtown at night you will see closed businesses lit up like they were open. OK, so some have night janitorial services working, but are they there ALL NIGHT? Is it really necessary that their digital signs be flashing all night?
If you look at any business district, you will see a lot of unnecessary lights burning. the traffic lights are a drop in the bucket compared to all the other wasted electricity!
Many lights are now programmed to stay green for the main road and can change by themselves. Those metal strips you see in the road have a magnetic field that can sense the metal in your car. There is small city near me that just put in all new lights and you never get red at night unless there is someone coming other way and they beat you to intersection.
At least in America, still have regular running stop lights, between 12a and 6a (or even 10p to 6a in some of the smaller cities). It makes no sense whatsoever.
Just about any traffic light during this time, except in say, places like Times Square and most American Downtowns, should be flashing red. The amount of tail pipe emissions, even though it may not be a great amount, has to be as effective as stuff light LED light bulbs.
Is it a cost factor, too much money to program the lights so they could do this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by beenhereandthere
Well maybe it's just me but around Seattle I have waited for lights to change for over 90 seconds between 12a and 6a constantly, it's stupid
About 7 years ago I worked a second shift job in Bedford, Massachusetts where I would get off work at 12a. I would leave work and drive into a neighboring town called Billerica to get to the highway. Billerica had a traffic light at a four way intersection on the way to the highway.
Every night I would be the only car on this main road (it was primarily office parks on one end and residential on the other end). The traffic light would be green on the main road as I approached from a distance. Every time I approached the intersection it would change to red even though I was the only car on either of the roads. I would have to wait 30-45 seconds for it to turn green again. It was completely stupid to have this traffic light on green-red-amber overnight. The last time I went through there at 12a was in 2009. It probably has not been changed knowing how most Massachusetts towns operate.
Sadly most municipalities are more concerned with either traffic calming or deriving revenue from motor vehicle infractions, both of which result in motor vehicles having to move slower and idle more, resulting in more carbon emissions than necessary.
Well maybe it's just me but around Seattle I have waited for lights to change for over 90 seconds between 12a and 6a constantly, it's stupid
Seattle talks, but does very little walking when it comes to the environment.
I can see the light pollution from Seattle from my house in Wenatchee. I there any reason to waste that much energy?? The city went so far to state that with the new LED lights they will save so much energy, that they are going to make them three or four times BRIGHTER!!!
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,870 posts, read 81,907,203 times
Reputation: 58331
There is a light in Issaquah (Route 900) that lasts 2 minutes at 5:45am, and most days I'm the only one within miles sitting there burning gas. I have often wondered whether a cop is sitting there watching me from Burger King to see if I might get impatient and run it.
Having worked with numerous small utility districts in the upper Midwest I can provide you an easy answer....Liability insurance...
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