wales@ucla-cs.UUCP (03/19/85)
While at the 1983 Summer USENIX conference in Toronto, I noticed that
the standard red/yellow/green traffic signal lights had an additional
"trick" which I had never seen before -- namely, the green light would
sometimes flash quickly on and off.
From watching the response of traffic to this novel kind of signal, I
deduced that it meant that cars going the other way still had a red
light, so that traffic in the direction of the "flashing green" could
turn left without having to worry about opposing traffic.
I have never seen this kind of signal in the U.S.; what we commonly use
in such situations is a second traffic signal with a green arrow point-
ing left. There is usually also a yellow arrow -- and sometimes a red
arrow as well.
My questions:
(1) Is "flashing green" used throughout Canada; just in Ontario; or just
in some provinces (and if so, which ones)?
(2) Does any country other than Canada use "flashing green"? Specific-
ally, is it used anywhere in the U.S.?
(3) Are left-pointing arrows ever used in Canada instead of "flashing
green"?
(4) Are there intersections in Canada with signs such as "left turn only
on flashing green" -- similar to our "left turn only on arrow"?
(5) Is there generally a pause between the time the green light stops
flashing and the time the red light for opposing traffic changes to
green -- in order to protect traffic which starts a left turn just
as the "flashing green" signal changes to "solid" green?
(6) If I am a pedestrian at an intersection with no special pedestrian
signals, can I cross the street on a "flashing green" signal, or do
I have to wait till it changes to "solid green"?
Please mail replies directly to me; I will summarize to the net in a
couple of weeks.
--
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Rich Wales
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Computer Science Department
3531 Boelter Hall
Los Angeles, California 90024 // USA
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Phone: (213) 825-5683 // +1 213 825 5683
ARPANET: wales@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA
UUCP: ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!wales
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