San Jose wireless traffic lights ?

[phocup]

Mentioned in this video around the 3:40 mark that SJ is testing wifi traffic light technology that would let you know how much time you have before an upcoming light turns so you can adjust to speed up or slow down .. to save fuel :laughing


youtu.be/5HOijUtExiM

Can't find any information on it from my Google. Anyone know more ?

 

[ScottRNelson]

In Buenos Aires they have numbers next to some of the traffic lights indicating how long it's going to stay green as well as how long it's going to stay red. Makes it a lot easier to figure out if you can make the light or not. :cool

Based on how hard it seems to be to get my iPhone to connect to various WiFi sources, I don't have high expectations in getting the information to my phone. And then I would have to have the phone somewhere I could actually see it rather than in my pocket.

 

[banshee01]

Sounds like a bad idea if people will be able to time the light and run through just as it goes to green

There will always be those people who push it and run through just after it turns red

 

[Aware]

You can see the countdown for pedestrians crossing at a significant percentage of lights ...

 

[Gary856]

In Buenos Aires they have numbers next to some of the traffic lights indicating how long it's going to stay green as well as how long it's going to stay red. Makes it a lot easier to figure out if you can make the light or not. :cool

Traffic lights with countdown timers are common in big cities in China. I really like them. I feel the visual feedback is helpful in alleviating drivers' impatience.

 

[EastBayDave]

Sounds like a bad idea if people will be able to time the light and run through just as it goes to green

There will always be those people who push it and run through just after it turns red

Russian's been doing this for decades. Seems like a nice way to save fuel & I bet they all check intersections before charging thru.

I learnt the hard way people run reds...(didn't look= crash & broken wrist! + they kept right on going w/me howling in pain on ground.) :rolleyes I'll never do that again....check every time. It's surprising how many run red lights. It's a wonder more aren't killed...:rolleyes

 

[HadesOmega]

Can't people just learn to adjust their speed accordingly? When I went through the UPS driver course they teach you to watch out for stale green lights. They are more likely to change any moment. Ultimately you need to make the decision slow down or punch through it if it turns yellow.

What I rather they do is make more efficient lights. Sometimes light will turn red for no reason, the ones with the sensors. There no one in the other section and it'll change on you. I hate the timed lights in SF but at least you can tell when they change. I even can predict how they will turn green, usually the pedestrian light will go white then after like 2 seconds the streetlight will turn green.

BTW its like that in Tokyo also.