Puckdropper said:
No power, no software, no one bothering to look before entering,
starvation (ie if traffic from across the intersection is streaming
through to the direction past you (270 degrees) you may not have a chance
to go for a long time.)
Traffic problems are going to exist, no matter what you do. However,
there's no reason that I should stop at all 9 traffic lights between the
interstate and my destination at an off-peak time.
They already have 'smart' traffic lights with sensors, controllers,
variable timing, etc. But it seems to me that the traffic engineers
don't really have a good handle on how to coordinate signals over a
large area.
Interesting observation: One of the worst stretches of road, in terms of
signal coordination, that I travel on frequently enough to observe, is
the one that runs right through the main Microsoft campuses. Perhaps
they have developed systems that can propagate software bugs by mere
proximity ;-). Some of the light changes are so poorly timed that
pedestrians have to make a run for it. Its actually pretty funny to
watch some of them trying to cross between the campuses, since many
Microsofties (known for their diet of pizza and Jolt cola) don't move
too fast.
Another interesting observation: One other signal timing 'disaster' is
at an intersection leading into a small residential neighborhood just
off a local freeway exchange. It seems that the traffic engineers have
set the signal logic to give the neighborhood residents a green light
without any delay when they approach the intersection. In fact, the
intersection has been fitted with a second sensor loop about 100 yards
back, so that an approaching vehicle from the side street doesn't even
have to slow down to switch the signal. During rush hour this has the
effect of backing traffic up on the freeway off ramp and onto the
freeway. From time to time, the signal timing seems to get 'fixed' to
improve the off ramp flow. But without fail, within a few weeks, the
signal priority gets switched back to favor the side street. The moral
of the story is that traffic flow is often more dependent on political
favoritism or bribes than common sense.