Talk:Traffic light
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An event mentioned in this article is a August 5 selected anniversary
Originally from a discussion in Talk:Robot
It is specifically traffic lights (as defined by Wikipedia) which is referred to as robots in SA slang. Traffic signal is too imprecise - such is not necessarily automated and is possibly not at the roadside - a traffic signal could be on a vehicle or it could even be given by a real person.
Psb777 23:43, 8 Feb 2004 (UTC)
- I'll give on "light" versus "signal" even if they are synonyms :) Confusion may be created if someone is more used to one versus the other -- perhaps its a regional issue.
- Websters notes:
- traffic light
- A road signal for directing vehicular traffic by means of colored lights, typically red for stop, green for go, and yellow for proceed with caution. Also called stoplight, traffic signal.
- Websters notes:
--LeFlyman 00:15, 9 Feb 2004 (UTC)
Light synonym for signal? No. What is it when, on my bicycle, I extend my arm? Or a policeman shows me the flat of his hand? Not a light. The correct place to correct confusion on this subject is in the Wikipedia article traffic light, not here.
Psb777 00:47, 9 Feb 2004 (UTC)
As for "traffic light and "traffic signal" being synonyms: Yes, they are. And not only that, but traffic signal *is* the original and more widely used term. You may be more comfortable with hearing "traffic light" in South Africa, but -- if you'd read closely in the wiki article -- the invention of the device was in the US, originally manufactured by the "American Traffic Signal Company."
Further, the external link at the bottom, (http://www33.brinkster.com/iiiii/trfclt) "Inventing history: Garrett Morgan and the traffic signal" links to a page documenting the origins. The term "traffic light" is used 11 times; the term "traffic signal" 50 times! (Yes, I counted -- and I didn't include use of "traffic signalling" or just "signal.")
Here's more: A search of Google for the terms "bicycle traffic signal" (as per your question) produces as the first link: (http://www.johnforester.com/Articles/Facilities/traffsig.htm) discussing traffic signals for bicycles -- and no, not the kind with your arm. "Traffic light" is not mentioned once. "Traffic signal" or just "signal" is used througout. Please try to find a usage of "traffic signal" to refer to anything other than what you call a "traffic light."
FYI: When you extend your arm, you are making a hand signal; you aren't making a traffic signal.
LeFlyman 22:06, 9 Feb 2004 (UTC)
I remember when I went to Canada a couple years ago seeing that flashing green light for the first time, and I was thinking what was up with that. Then I seen the guy ahead of me making a left, then I figured out that the flashing green was the same as a left turn arrow here in the states.
JesseG 02:26, 28 Jul 2004 (UTC)
I was surprised to read here that traffic lights are often synchronized to allow a driver to hit several greens in a row. I remember reading that normally they were designed to operate the opposite way so as to prevent people from driving too fast in urban areas. I will attempt to research this. Anyone have anything to say on this topic? Not sure if I'm adding too many peculiarities to this article but I suppose someone else will take them out if they feel that way about my edits. Jarsyl 09:47, 2004 Aug 5 (UTC)
In Warsaw, Poland, traffic lights are sometimes synchronized in such a way that if you drive 50 or 60km/h you hit several greens in a row, driving 10km or more without stopping, but when you drive faster, you have to stop on every red. In Kraków, Poland, which is in my opinion an absolutely great idea, there are signs displaying how fast exactly you have to drive to hit the next green light, which is usually way below 60km/h, so even in heavy traffic everyone keeps going. Rafał Pocztarski 17:28, 5 Aug 2004 (UTC)
In New York City, lights on many of the one-way avenues are timed so that a car traveling at 30mph will hit only green lights for the length of the avenue. This keeps traffic slowed down to the speed limit, since any cars going faster than the limit will hit a red light and have to wait. It can be exhiliarating to "surf" the "wave" of green lights, to travel all the way down the island without stopping once. The hazard in this is that cars tend to bunch up at the front of the "wave", so any pedestrians caught in the crosswalk as the light changes will risk being bowled over by dozens of cars at full speed. By contrast, in Boston I've seen signs which say "Lights Timed to Require Frequent Stops". This doesn't seem to make traffic much calmer, since drivers end up speeding as fast as they can between the lights to try to avoid the reds. Also, the lights sometimes cause traffic to back up to the previous intersection... making it more like "Lights Timed to Cause Major Gridlock and Traffic Snarls". ~Anonymous 17:36, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)
In Silicon Valley, several major roads have synchronized lights, including 10th and 11th Streets in San Jose and certain segments of the Santa Clara County expressway system. They are designed so that if you stay at the speed limit, you should be able to get 7 or 8 green lights in a row.
I have also seen traffic lights on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles that are designed to cut down on speeding by turning red (even if no cross-traffic is waiting to cross or to turn onto Sunset) if you approach them too fast. --Coolcaesar 21:52, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)
Garrett Morgan's signal
I'd be interested to see more detail on the subject of why Garrett A. Morgan is wrongly credited with invention of the traffic signal. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation site (http://education.dot.gov/) states that Morgan was the first to patent it (http://education.dot.gov/aboutmorgan.html), while being quite vague on the issue that earlier inventors had "experimented with and even marketed" signals. An about.com article (http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blgas_mask.htm) is more specific, saying that while earlier inventors had indeed patented traffic signals, Morgan's was the first that could be inexpensively produced: "In addition, my invention contemplates the provision of a signal which may be readily and cheaply manufactured"; this provision is not mentioned on the myth-debunking site (http://www33.brinkster.com/iiiii/trfclt/). The corresponding section in our Garrett Morgan article appears to be lifted almost verbatim from the about.com article, but also fails to mention inexpensive manufacture. Even if we don't know the reason for wrong attribution, I think the phrase "for unknown reasons" should be removed; someone knows the reasons, even if it's not us. -- Wapcaplet 19:33, 12 Nov 2004 (UTC)
- I agree with this and have removed "For unknown reasons" from the article, since no one has (yet) come up with a reason to keep them. CheekyMonkey 13:43, 10 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Please verify an edit
This edit (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Traffic_light&diff=8478558&oldid=8470416) was from an IP address that has also contributed significant vandalism. It is possible the edit was incorrect and dishonestly cited a source. - Taxman 22:42, Dec 27, 2004 (UTC)
Hmmm. http://ffp1.faa.gov/approach/media/pdfs/ControllerAcceptanceFinal.pdf has a bit about the book; it doesn't confirm or deny it.--SPUI 23:16, 27 Dec 2004 (UTC)
> Hi, > The ITE Traffic Control Systems Handbook has the following > paragraph in section 1.4. > "The first electric traffic signal in the United States was installed > in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1914. This was followed by the introduction > of the interconnected signal systems in Salt Lake City in 1917, where > 6 intersections were manually controlled as a single system. In 1922, > in Houston, TX, 12 intersections were controlled as a simultaneous > system from a centrol traffic tower. This system was unique in that > it used an electric automatic timer."</pre?
A little too many East Berlin photos?
Don't you think there are a little too many East Berlin photos? The segment is pretty short, and the whopping three images extend way into the next section. I'd suggest putting the image from Barnes Dance instead of one of the East Berlin ones, as it would go great with the "Pedestrian Scramble" section. newkai 13:40, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)