please tell me Maryland isn't the only state that does this insanity

[charlie and algernon]

Maryland has this idiotic, insane way of organizing their stop lights. they'll have two or more intersections with stop lights back to back to back, etc. Yet they DON'T synch up, as in they don't all turn green at the same time. In fact, it's always the first one in the line that goes green first, so all those cars start to go, only they can't go anywhere because the cars at the next light are still stopped. So everyone backs up and no one f-ing moves. then you're light goes to red and you watch in futility as the cars in the road perpendicular to you fill up the space for the next light, and you sit and sit and sit... :banghead:

Baltimore sucks with the way the lights aren't synched up, but I've noticed it in Annapolis and other places around the state. I've never noticed it in PA, usually all the lights on a stretch of road turn green or red at the same time.

Any other state have un-synched lights?

[BlueJazz]

1. I had an interesting conversation with one of my neighbors about a week ago.

He's a Traffic Engineer and one of the first things he says is: "probably 30 percent of the people setting up traffic light systems in the USA should be fired..they don't have the slightest clue what-the-hell they're doing"
"I see Traffic lights that could NOT be programmed worse"

I understand exactly what you're saying.
One of the things he said that struck home was: Anytime you're at a Red light with 10 or more cars AND you look down the road and there's hardly any traffic for 4 blocks....Somebody is NOT doing their job"

He also said if the USA had smarter Traffic Engineers, we would save about 15-20 percent of Fuel costs than what we spend now.

I believe him...I see stupid ass shit lights every day...VERY aggravating

[nytemare]

2. There should be a federal "time the traffic lights" program.

Federal engineers should start with major and mid-size suburban areas and synch up all the traffic lights. Ideally, you should be able to get through a few lights before you have to stop. Orlando is awful. You will sit at a light, the light finally turns green, and no matter how fast or slow you go, the light ahead will sure as heck turn red before you get there. I can't imagine how much fuel and TIME could be saved if all the useless idling was stopped.

[charlie and algernon]

3. i would KILL for that legislation

it's awful in my town, I swear the ights are timed to keep the cars in massive slow moving packs. there is absolutely no way to cruise through the main drag. you WILL have to stop multiple times and the whole time you're surrounded my cars bunched together. the worst is how long the lights last. You WILL sit for at LEAST 2 minutes, regardless of how many cars are coming the opposite way. It usually takes 10-15 minutes to go a mere 6 miles.
:wow:

[nytemare]

10. I'm not sure why serious legislation such as that hasn't been proposed

Maybe I should write to my rep Alan Grayson.

It makes sense. The saved fuel would pay dividends very quickly, even for government, considering the massive fleet of vehicles that local and state governments have to maintain.

[Generic Brad]

4. You have described Saint Paul, MN on evenings and weekends

During rush hour the lights are synched perfectly. But once we get into after hours driving through downtown is like that driving scene from "Meet the Parents". It is very annoying for those of us who reside downtown.

[fizzgig]

5. my city is abysmal at that

on one section of the main drag, there are stoplights every block or two for two, maybe three miles. if you hit a red light within the first four lights or so, you are guaranteed to hit at least 75 percent of the remaining lights. i avoid that stretch of road as much as i can because i'm homicidal by the time i'm done with it.

[old mark]

6. Some towns do this on purpose to discourage people from racing.

Think of all the unnecessary pollution from all those cars just sitting there....


mark

[TZ]

7. Some of this is deliberately done to control the flow of traffic

Drive around 355 in Momtgomery County. Traffic flow is a complex issue, especially in such a heavily travelled area. Talk to a civil engineer sometime to get a sense of this. It's not done just because it's "crazy"..: eyes:. Believe it or not synching up every light in a row is not necessarily a good thing. Especially if it means blocking larger arteries.

[hedgehog]

8. On the other hand - the round-abouts in England allow everyone

to go through the intersection without stopping. The only problem is getting the dents out of the steering wheel left over from gripping it in terror.

[Swede]

9. The lights in my town are synched to the time of day.

Rush hour you get a stream of greens,other times of day it's stop and go.