Blinking yellow turn arrows (house, authority, yard)

[scuba steve]

Wish they added them at Bitters / Huebner in all 4 directions. I have no clue how many times I've ran the red left arrow in the early hours of the morning on my way to work. Going SW on Huebner you can see straight ahead for a good mile or so but they expect everyone to stare at the two green dots going straight and the red arrow going to the left for whatever reason.

[curtisntex]

This is a ridiculous concept to me. These new lights are in response to people being confused of what a green light in a turning lane means?!? What people did they survey? There is always a sign there explaining it. When they also have to have a sign explaining what the flashing yellow arrow means, it defeats the purpose, might as well be a green light. What I think is dumb, is having an arrow of ANY color other than green, I hate the red arrows too. An arrow should always mean your protected.

[L210]

Just last week, there was a man in front of me at Basse and San Pedro just sitting there at the flashing yellow light even though the road was completely clear for him to make a left turn.

[Littlelu]

I've seen this at one specific intersection..but it's not where I turn...I've assumed all along that the light was not working properly! Should be nice if the public was informed. I watch the news 3 times a day and have not heard of this. Glad I read this thread!

[Littlelu]

IF drivers are confused then this change is no good...period!

[TXsurburbanmom]

They had these all over in the Raleigh area we just mvoed back from. Always seemed to be on very busy streets which drove me nuts sitting there watching traffic go by while the light blinked yellow. I also noticed it took much longer to finally get a green arrow so it ended up making it much worse for the person turning. Since I was turning into my son's preschool IMO it made it somewhat of a dangerous situation if the parent got impatient waiting at that "neverending" yellow light. I just thought it was a regional thing darn it--not looking forward to more of these!

[L210]

On some of the streets, you never get a solid green arrow and you're just waiting forever for traffic to clear up so you can make a left turn.

[TowBar]

Originally Posted by Littlelu

I've seen this at one specific intersection..but it's not where I turn...I've assumed all along that the light was not working properly! Should be nice if the public was informed. I watch the news 3 times a day and have not heard of this. Glad I read this thread!

I did see this on the news a while back. Don't remember when, but it seems like months.

I agree that they don't always seem good. I noticed when turning off of Marbach onto Ellison, the yellow blinking light is long, it it seems to go before the grren arrow. I would expect the green arrow first, then the blinking yellow. On the other hand I wish there was one at Wurzbach and Exchange Parkway. That turn light seems to be defective. I have set there for two or three light changes and the turn light always stayed red. The whole time there were periods where there was no oncoming traffic. The last time I was there I waited through a few light changes, and just ran the red turn light hoping no cops were around.

[ged_782]

Originally Posted by TowBar

On the other hand I wish there was one at Wurzbach and Exchange Parkway. That turn light seems to be defective. I have set there for two or three light changes and the turn light always stayed red. The whole time there were periods where there was no oncoming traffic. The last time I was there I waited through a few light changes, and just ran the red turn light hoping no cops were around.

I'm not familiar with that intersection, but I've noticed at some of the traffic light-controlled intersections I frequently use, there is a sequence to green light cycles - and I've gotten to know at what point I should be getting a green light, based on what direction has the green light when I arrive at the intersection.

At some intersections, I've noticed if I pull into the left turn lane at a point that is too late in the sequence, it will skip the "normally scheduled" left turn cycle, and I will have to wait through the entire cycle again before I get a green arrow. This only seems to happen in dedicated left turn lanes with a "left on green arrow only", no solid green, and no flashing yellow arrow.

[Troubleshooter]

Originally Posted by curtisntex

This is a ridiculous concept to me. These new lights are in response to people being confused of what a green light in a turning lane means?!? What people did they survey? There is always a sign there explaining it. When they also have to have a sign explaining what the flashing yellow arrow means, it defeats the purpose, might as well be a green light.

The lie is that it was done because drivers are confused by the circular green light. That is just what politicians who do not understand it say, because they felt they had to open their mouths.

It was done to get rid of a serious danger called yellow trap. Yellow trap is caused by the circular green indication being used to allow permissive left turns. But it can happen only when the circular greens in opposite directions end at different times. Then a driver receiving the earlier yellow light might turn across live traffic that still has a green light.

Yellow trap occurs under the following conditions:
- Phase skip occurs (usually at night) in a signal with leading left turns.
- Lagging left turns are used with permissive turns.
- one leg has no left turn signal, but the opposite direction does.
- Lead-lag phasing is used with permissive turns to improve progression.
- An emergency vehicle pre-empts the signal.
- A railroad or drawbridge pre-empts the signal.

Leading left turns have the left turn go before the opposing straight ahead.
Lagging left turns have the left turn go after the opposing straight ahead.
Lead-lag has one leading approach, and the opposite approach lagging.
Phase skip omits green lights for approaches that have no traffic present.

The flashing yellow arrow fixes this, because it can stay flashing while the straight ahead signals are yellow or red. The circular green can not do this. Thus, the flashing yellow arrow can end the permissive left turn at a safe time. It prevents yellow trap, and gives signal engineers a lot of new possibilities for moving more traffic.

What I think is dumb, is having an arrow of ANY color other than green, I hate the red arrows too. An arrow should always mean your protected.

Then you are ignorant of reality. Arrows are used to control traffic turning in a certain direction, without other traffic reacting to them.

- Only a steady GREEN arrow indicates a protected turn. Every green arrow must be ended with a steady yellow arrow.

- A steady yellow arrow means the right of way for drivers turning in that direction is ending. It implies no connotation of either protected or permissive. But it is illegal to display it when opposing traffic has a green light.

- A steady red arrow means that all traffic turning in the direction of the arrow must stop and stay.

- A flashing yellow arrow means that turning traffic may filter though gaps in oncoming traffic and pedestrians. A flashing yellow arrow must be ended by a steady yellow arrow, unless the next indication is a green arrow.

- A flashing red arrow means that turning traffic must stop before filtering though gaps in oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

- New signals for left turns placed over the left turn lane may not contain any circular indications.

Since this is now the federal standard for left turn signals, you had better change your brain so it accepts what is now the law of the land. You are not going to change it by yourself.