Didn't mean to respond to that post.

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It was 52-48, the out of state ownership and control (IIRC they picked the intersections, not the city) ABSOLUTELY moved the needle.

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You "ABSOLUTELY" know that all of the people that voted against it did so because of where the money went? Did the people that voted for them to stay not care where the money went or that it infringed on our 6th Amendment rights?

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Maybe it didn't matter to YOU personally but that was a significant factor in how close the polls were.

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That's why I said "I" and not "we" or "everyone". Or "absolutely". I don't use grouping or absolutes unless I know them to be true.

I do know that the lunch groups and bible study groups that I was in at the time had people from all walks of life and the reason that I gave were the reasons they were adamantly against them.

Yep. Bollards going in at Stallings and Lubbock.

Stucco said:

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Since we have so much money to burn we should spend some on adaptive signaling.

Some examples of what adaptive signaling can do:

• Don't flip the light because of one driver that is turning right on red.
• Automatically shorten or lengthen cycles based on lopsided traffic (pedestrians, congestion, construction, accidents, etc).
• Switch to flashing when traffic is light.
• Automatic coordination with surrounding adaptive signals to optimize timing in changing traffic conditions.

It is basically like having a cop manually directing traffic at every intersection, all the time, except they are also all synchronized.

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I remember when ....

Left turn from Texas to New Main was once a flashing yellow light. It was a shooting gallery. People speeding on Texas 50+ heading south and students turning on a flashing yellow light. I have seen more than one wreck at that intersection.

Stupe said:

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You "ABSOLUTELY" know that all of the people that voted against it did so because of where the money went? Did the people that voted for them to stay not care where the money went or that it infringed on our 6th Amendment rights?

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I'm saying that it was a significant factor that did sway voters. How much, I don't know, but it was an issue.

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Agree with all these 100% except the one about the flashing lights. Plenty of rocket scientists, willfully or non-willfully, that will take any flashing light as permission to not stop.

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The stoplights in Bryan used to flash after hours, but during the daytime they ran on a strict timer that paid no attention to who was at what corner. If the lights are working properly, the "dominant" road will be all green anyway. I used to do delivery in the dead of the night, and I rarely saw a red light when I was at Harvey Mitchell Parkway, and I always stopped at it, because at nighttime especially during summer, the roads are crawling with LEOs and if it's not LEOs they're probably drunk. That's not an environment where you can play games with red lights.

Stupe said:

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Ya'll crack me up! Debating red-light cameras when they have been outlawed by the State of Texas since 2019.

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I didn't realize there were rules about discussing past issues on here.

Thank you, Aggie_Fire. I hope they give forum cops the same 10% discount at Shipleys that they give real cops.

You earned it tonight.

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I laughed. I have thick skin. I would be more concerned if there wasn't some sort of agitation on this board!

Your opinion. My opinion. All opinions and that is your God given right in this country.

Stucco said:

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Since we have so much money to burn we should spend some on adaptive signaling.

Some examples of what adaptive signaling can do:

• Don't flip the light because of one driver that is turning right on red.
• Automatically shorten or lengthen cycles based on lopsided traffic (pedestrians, congestion, construction, accidents, etc).
• Switch to flashing when traffic is light.
• Automatic coordination with surrounding adaptive signals to optimize timing in changing traffic conditions.

It is basically like having a cop manually directing traffic at every intersection, all the time, except they are also all synchronized.

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AI for "traffic engineering" (Quotes for the oxymoron comment), is a very quickly growing market. It is too early to tell where it will go in the future, but AI is going to have a HUGE impact in the world of traffic management. IMHO, AI will take over traffic management in the very near future. And it is VERY expensive. Unfortunately the existing traffic systems that most cities have do not allow for this (think more hardware centric, not software centric) but currently major progress is being made for this concept.

All of your ideas are a huge step in the right direction. Except for one...Flashing lights require people to know how to use a flashing light and lots of drivers don't know how to yield. Too many drivers are too selfish and will take risks to ensure they get the right-of-way.

Also, drivers only took ONE DRIVING test ever. That doesn't mean they know how to drive, but at least the state got it's money. The bad drivers are the reason IMO that drivers have to be micro-managed.

It was meant to be light-hearted.

TheOC16 said:

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Sometimes you just have to have some imagination in your driving.

The left turn on Texas from Southwest Pkwy East bound will back up so dang much. I always kind of laughed at the people who'd sit in a 15 car line that lets 3-4 through a light. I'd just go through the intersection, turn left into CVS, and then right turn back onto Texas and save myself several light cycles when I lived over there.

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Just FYI: TRC 545.423:
(a) An operator may not cross a sidewalk or drive through a driveway, parking lot, or business or residential entrance without stopping the vehicle.
(b) An operator may not cross or drive in or on a sidewalk, driveway, parking lot, or business or residential entrance at an intersection to turn right or left from one highway to another highway.


I think the biggest cause of most of the red light running I see (for me it's the feeder road crossings, especially on Briarcrest and University, although Texas and University is bad, too) is simply that the roadways are inadequate to the traffic loads, especially at peak times, and people are impatient with waiting multiple turns through the signal.

Looking at trying to do targeted enforcement at problem intersections, it would have to be done with motorcycle cops. A cop in a car has to be the first car sitting at the intersection, otherwise they're stuck and can't do anything. Motorcycles can sit on the sidewalk.

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Looking at trying to do targeted enforcement at problem intersections, it would have to be done with motorcycle cops. A cop in a car has to be the first car sitting at the intersection, otherwise they're stuck and can't do anything. Motorcycles can sit on the sidewalk.

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Nearly all of CSPD's traffic-specific units use motorcycles. Doesn't mean the cars don't pull people over obviously but the traffic-dedicated ones are all nearly all bikes.

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I think the biggest cause of most of the red light running I see (for me it's the feeder road crossings, especially on Briarcrest and University, although Texas and University is bad, too) is simply that the roadways are inadequate to the traffic loads, especially at peak times, and people are impatient with waiting multiple turns through the signal.

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I think this is true for people that are somewhat close to being within the margin-for-error of stop/go decisions. But I think the primary culprit of just absolutely egregious running of lights is just people who are selfish and assume (rightfully) that there won't be any repercussions for doing it.

When traffic is backed up it's a not as big of a deal if a few more cars go after the signal changes (except when it backs up traffic into the intersection which also happens too often). Everyone is already aware of the traffic, nobody is moving particularly fast, etc.

But an intersection I go through a couple of times per day where it's gotten dangerous is Rock Prairie and Victoria and the most dangerous red light running there isn't when there's heavy traffic causing impatience, it's just people gunning it because they don't care about anyone else and they know nothing is going to happen.

Look Out Below said:

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Looking at trying to do targeted enforcement at problem intersections, it would have to be done with motorcycle cops. A cop in a car has to be the first car sitting at the intersection, otherwise they're stuck and can't do anything. Motorcycles can sit on the sidewalk.

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Nearly all of CSPD's traffic-specific units use motorcycles. Doesn't mean the cars don't pull people over obviously but the traffic-dedicated ones are all nearly all bikes.

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FIFY

I drive Briarcrest/Villa Maria every day, and I'm amazed it took me this long to figure it out, but another reason for so many red light runners, at least on the east-west arteries, might be that there are just So. Many. Lights. People get sick of stopping every couple hundred yards in some places. (I will add that the signal at University and Nimitz is one of my least favorite, early in the morning. Driving eastbound, it seems like every time the light at University at Texas turns green, you get stopped by the light at Nimitz. Annoying as heck.)

I work night shift, so when I'm going to work (~10:15-10:30 pm) it's far from heavy traffic. I saw two people run lights right next to me on my way to work tonight.