Traffic Lights

[mrsticka]

Have you noticed that in Nebraska, traffic lights are mounted horizontally all over the state except Omaha? How come? I used to live in Omaha and the lights were all vertical. Still are, of course. But when I moved to Lincoln in 1993, they were all horizontal. I'd never seen a horizontal traffic light before and thought they were kind of weird looking.

[jessep28]

If you define "Omaha" to include the metro area, some of the streetlights by Offutt are horizontal

[mrsticka]

I meant Omaha as just the city itself, not the whole metro.

[BRoss]

I think it's just a general rule that traffic lights are horizontal throughout Nebraska. Omaha just chooses to make theirs vertical.

[Brad]

I think it's just a general rule that traffic lights are horizontal throughout Nebraska. Omaha just chooses to make theirs vertical.

It doesn matter if its Horizonal or Vertical...
Green = Keep Texting
Yellow = Floor it
Red = I still have 10 more seconds because the new green people are still texting.

[Seth]

I think it's just a general rule that traffic lights are horizontal throughout Nebraska. Omaha just chooses to make theirs vertical.

It doesn matter if its Horizonal or Vertical...
Green = Keep Texting
Yellow = Floor it
Red = I still have 10 more seconds because the new green people are still texting.

I have two comments:
1. Omaha's vertical traffic lights are normal, as far as I'm concerned. When I first visited Lincoln, I thought the horizontal lights were strange. I've seen them in a few other states, but pretty much everywhere I can think of in Illinios (where I grew up) has them oriented vertically.
2. Omahans take red-light running to bold new extremes.

[brick]

vertical is more common.

for ndor (which has many lightsin sarpy co and elsewhere in NE) and in lincoln, its just a standard to do it horizontally. why? less wind loading on the poles, not sure if there are other reasons.

[BRoss]

vertical is more common.

for ndor (which has many lightsin sarpy co and elsewhere in NE) and in lincoln, its just a standard to do it horizontally. why? less wind loading on the poles, not sure if there are other reasons.

It might have something to do with the fact that when it gets really windy, vertical lights can be blown to where the are crooked since they are attached at only one spot on the pole. Horizontal lights can be attached to the pole from each end making them more durable.

[Garrett]

vertical is more common.

for ndor (which has many lightsin sarpy co and elsewhere in NE) and in lincoln, its just a standard to do it horizontally. why? less wind loading on the poles, not sure if there are other reasons.

It might have something to do with the fact that when it gets really windy, vertical lights can be blown to where the are crooked since they are attached at only one spot on the pole. Horizontal lights can be attached to the pole from each end making them more durable.

Well but now that there are those big metal diagonal poles that kinda eliminates that problem.

[BRoss]

vertical is more common.

for ndor (which has many lightsin sarpy co and elsewhere in NE) and in lincoln, its just a standard to do it horizontally. why? less wind loading on the poles, not sure if there are other reasons.

It might have something to do with the fact that when it gets really windy, vertical lights can be blown to where the are crooked since they are attached at only one spot on the pole. Horizontal lights can be attached to the pole from each end making them more durable.

Well but now that there are those big metal diagonal poles that kinda eliminates that problem.

Well the thing about those is that they are not very common and also they still are only attached at one spot on the bottom pole.

[mrsticka]

Chicago is a lot windier than Nebraska and yet they mount their traffic lights vertically.

[icejammer]

Chicago is a lot windier than Nebraska and yet they mount their traffic lights vertically.

Actually, Omaha is windier than Chicago.
Chicago vs. Omaha Eppley

And the State as a whole, much windier:
http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov/pdfs/wind_maps/us_windmap_80meters.pdf

[S33]

I think it's just a general rule that traffic lights are horizontal throughout Nebraska. Omaha just chooses to make theirs vertical.

It doesn matter if its Horizonal or Vertical...
Green = Keep Texting
Yellow = Floor it
Red = I still have 10 more seconds because the new green people are still texting.

speaking of that, I saw some dumb broad in a brand new white Jeep Sahara going down west Dodge expressway texting the entire time, swerving and running people out of their lanes.

I was so mad, I wanted take her keys and shove 'em right up her |expletive|!

[mrsticka]

To be fair, Nebraska does have vertical traffic lights in places other than Omaha. They include wire-mounted lights (mostly seen in Lincoln, but becoming less common), the I-80/US 81 interchange in York and at the intersection south of it, and the lights in downtown York, a couple of intersections in Fremont along Old US 275, 1 intersection in Blair, 1 intersection in Kearney along US 30, 1 in North Platte on northbound US 83. And there's one in Scottsbluff.

[nativeomahan]

The problem with horizontal lights, as I understand it, comes from the segment of the population...mostly males...who are colorblind. I was always taught that the red light was always on top, and the green light on the bottom. Horizontal configuration can lead to problems for the colorblind.

[Omababe]

Now that you mention it - and I admit I seldom pay attention to things like this, the lights at the Sapp Brothers and the Paypal exits are definitely horizontal.

The rest of those I could see on the drive in this morning were vertical.

[BRoss]

Now that you mention it - and I admit I seldom pay attention to things like this, the lights at the Sapp Brothers and the Paypal exits are definitely horizontal.

The rest of those I could see on the drive in this morning were vertical.

Generally once you get outside Omaha city limits, the lights are turned horizontal. The Giles Rd and 144th St exits are just outside city limits in Sarpy County.

[Omababe]

Now that you mention it - and I admit I seldom pay attention to things like this, the lights at the Sapp Brothers and the Paypal exits are definitely horizontal.

The rest of those I could see on the drive in this morning were vertical.

Generally once you get outside Omaha city limits, the lights are turned horizontal. The Giles Rd and 144th St exits are just outside city limits in Sarpy County.

I'm sure that 144th. between Harrison and I-80 is outside the city line in Sarpy County, and I'm sure the stoplights are vertical in that stretch. I'll be going that way tomorrow so I'll check for sure.

[BRoss]

Now that you mention it - and I admit I seldom pay attention to things like this, the lights at the Sapp Brothers and the Paypal exits are definitely horizontal.

The rest of those I could see on the drive in this morning were vertical.

Generally once you get outside Omaha city limits, the lights are turned horizontal. The Giles Rd and 144th St exits are just outside city limits in Sarpy County.

I'm sure that 144th. between Harrison and I-80 is outside the city line in Sarpy County, and I'm sure the stoplights are vertical in that stretch. I'll be going that way tomorrow so I'll check for sure.

That's true. All lights south of Harrison and north the Sapp Bros entrance just north of I-80 are vertical. But south of that they are horizontal. There really isn't any consistency, but generally they are horizontal outside Omaha city limits.

[mrsticka]

Wisconsin has used horizontals for decades. But now they're abandoning them for verticals. Perhaps someday Nebraska will, too?

[l-dude]

Wisconsin may not admit this, but almost everything suburban Chicago (read... north to Milwaukee & northwest, almost to Madison) is affected by what Chicago (and northern Illinois) does, in spite of what they "say".

[thenewguy]

Im just super impressed that this thread has had as much participation as it has

[Linkin5]

Im just super impressed that this thread has had as much participation as it has

Lol. The exact same thing I was thinking.

[mrsticka]

I take it you 2 don't like traffic lights? I suppose they can be somewhat of an annoyance at times especially when you're in a hurry to get somewhere and they're red.

I don't like to think of traffic lights as tyrannical and authoritarian. I like to think of them as colorful.

[Linkin5]

I take it you 2 don't like traffic lights? I suppose they can be somewhat of an annoyance at times especially when you're in a hurry to get somewhere and they're red.

I don't like to think of traffic lights as tyrannical and authoritarian. I like to think of them as colorful.

Yes, I have a personal vendetta against traffic lights.

[mrsticka]

I take it you 2 don't like traffic lights? I suppose they can be somewhat of an annoyance at times especially when you're in a hurry to get somewhere and they're red.

I don't like to think of traffic lights as tyrannical and authoritarian. I like to think of them as colorful.

Yes, I have a personal vendetta against traffic lights.

[Omababe]

Im just super impressed that this thread has had as much participation as it has

This is something I rarely pay attention to. I think of myself as someone who is detail-oriented.

LOL, now is anyone else willing to admit that they are old enough to remember stoplights that had red-green only and no yellow?

[nativeomahan]

I just finished up a 1200+ mile trip to three states and one Canadian province. From my recollection 100% of overhead traffic signals were mounted vertically. In Michigan and Ontario all the traffic signal mounting fixtures were painted yellow.

[Busguy2010]

I don't usually notice this kind of thing, but there is a couple sets of horizontal lights i've seen in Omaha. They're at 108 & West Center and are attached to the pedestrian bridge.

[Coyote]

Speaking of traffic lights:

Omaha City Council to vote on new traffic lights
$1 million project would save city in energy costs

The City Council is set to vote on a $1 million project Tuesday that would approve new traffic lights at 525 locations. Officials said the new LED lights would help save on energy costs.

[ShawJ]

I think we can all agree that lights at a 45 degree angle would work best.

[mrsticka]

Why can't Nebraska just use verticals exclusively like Omaha? ... Well, almost. There are some intersections on the far western end of town that have horizontals. So I guess Omaha doesn't use verticals exclusively.

[BRoss]

With new traffic signals, it'll be safer but slower travel on West Maple Road

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120920/N ... maple-road

Traffic signals are being installed at three intersections along a mile-and-a-half stretch of West Maple, west of 168th Street, in a developing area of mostly open fields, new neighborhoods and scattered shopping. They'll be operational in about a month.

They are putting traffic lights in at HWS Cleveland Blvd, 180th St, and 192nd St.

[jessep28]

I like how that guy they interviewed kept blaming his commute problems on the lowered speed limit on W. Maple. Negating the stoplights, considering the distances involved on that stretch of road, the 10mph reduction doesn't increase transit times that much.

[Uffda]

At this time I can see the need for a stop light at the Harley dealership corner but 180th is a gravel road heading north and a dead end heading south. If they were NOW connecting 180th over the railroad tracks to 180th by dodge I could see that.

[BRoss]

At this time I can see the need for a stop light at the Harley dealership corner but 180th is a gravel road heading north and a dead end heading south. If they were NOW connecting 180th over the railroad tracks to 180th by dodge I could see that.

Well to be fair, 180th does currently go to Blondo. Although there is absolutely no development around it, so I agree that it doesn't need a light at this point. I know they are *supposed* to be connecting over the railroad tracks within the next few years, but then again 168th south of Pacific was supposed to be widened like five years ago...so who knows.

As for 192nd, there are a few neighborhoods and an apartment complex developed along it, so I can see the need for a light there.

[mrsticka]

Is anybody familiar with flashing yellow arrows?

They haven't made their way into Nebraska yet, but if and when they do, this is what they'll use:



And of course, Omaha will use this:

[iamjacobm]

I would love to see one of those turning off 30th onto California.

[mrsticka]

I would love to see one of those turning off 30th onto California.

Maybe someday you will.

[almighty_tuna]

I don't care if they're vertical or horizontal, those would be great to have at 102nd & L and 108th & John Gault.