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(526508)

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Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009

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I was walking down 10th Ave. in Inwood the other day and had the "Walk" signal to cross Sherman Ave. As I crossed, I was almost mowed down by two cars on Sherman who ran a red to turn left onto 10th. And this is what the traffic light looked like:





If those lights were to agree to with the "Walk" signal, then the cars should have followed the above red lights and stopped. However, under the left light, there's a green light - it's angled slightly so, but it still looks like it was meant for Sherman Ave. traffic.

But then Google Maps shows this, which means it was meant for 10th Ave. traffic, but the car shouldn't be turnig there - it should be turning from under the el, no?:


View Larger Map

Someone 'splain, Lucy. The cars that almost mowed me down were following that green light, and one almost got t-boned when he turned onto 10th. And if that light is meant for 10th Avenue traffic, why isn't it synced for 10th? If you notice in both of the photos I took, 10th has greens, although the Sherman lights differ.

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(526595)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Nov 20 07:20:19 2009, in response to Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009.

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Odd, but I don't know enough about the intersection to comment.

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(526636)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Nov 20 08:24:32 2009, in response to Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009.

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Looks like the "Green" light on Sherman was turned upside down when they installed the visors. Call NYCDOT immediately.

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(526638)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Nov 20 08:30:16 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Nov 20 08:24:32 2009.

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Yeah, I see that now, it's obvious the light is out of alignment as red should never be on the bottom.

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(526640)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Nov 20 08:31:46 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Nov 20 08:30:16 2009.

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And in the street view, the light is facing the complete opposite direction, the way it should be.
Amanda, RIPTA is right, call the DOT, you know the location and stuff. Doing so can prevent a serious accident.

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(526679)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Sand Box John on Fri Nov 20 10:35:01 2009, in response to Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009.

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The top bracket is broken off, that's why the signal head is upside down and pointing the wrong direction.

Damage likely caused by the high winds from the remnants of hurricane Ida.

Saw the one on right turned 90 degrees to the left in Cambridge Maryland late last week.


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John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.


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(526692)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 11:22:04 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Fri Nov 20 08:31:46 2009.

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I called 311 last night

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(526694)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 11:24:31 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Nov 20 08:24:32 2009.

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Called 311 last night - y'know, I totally missed the fact that red was on the bottom.

What I still don't get is why they let the cars turn right from outside the el, as there were cars turning right from inside the el - that looks like another accident waiting to happen. There are no street markings that it's a turn lane. I wouldn't think to use it as a turn lane as the outside of the el is frequently used by double parkers (triple if you count the cars on the sidewalk)

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(526695)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by LuchAAA on Fri Nov 20 11:24:58 2009, in response to Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009.

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this is something NY1 or some local would do a story on for sure.

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(526705)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Nov 20 12:44:50 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Sand Box John on Fri Nov 20 10:35:01 2009.

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The top bracket is broken off, that's why the signal head is upside down and pointing the wrong direction.

Oh, it is upside down! At first glance, it looked like the visors were in the right place.

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(526727)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Terrapin Station on Fri Nov 20 13:18:05 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 11:24:31 2009.

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Turning lanes don't have to be marked. By default you can make a right turn from the right-most lane unless it is otherwise prohibited by signage or markings.

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(526729)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Terrapin Station on Fri Nov 20 13:19:26 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Nov 20 08:24:32 2009.

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Last night I totally missed the fact that it was upside down. But I did see that it was misaligned from the approach shown in the Street View image. And that's the main problem.

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(526744)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Spider-Pig on Fri Nov 20 15:31:03 2009, in response to Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009.

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It looks like it was meant for 10th Avenue but broke and flipped over. Cars should NOT be turning from under the el, they should use the right lane, which is outside the columns.

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(526745)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Spider-Pig on Fri Nov 20 15:31:39 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Terrapin Station on Fri Nov 20 13:18:05 2009.

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Not can, but MUST!

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(526750)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Spider-Pig on Fri Nov 20 15:40:14 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 11:24:31 2009.

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Right turns. Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway or, where travel on the shoulder or slope has been authorized, from the shoulder or slope.

N.Y. Veh. & Traf. § 1160(a) (2009)

Don't subscribe to the Sand Box John school of terrible driving.

I was struck by a car turning right from the center lane of East 79th Street onto York Avenue while I was making the same turn. The difference was that I turned into the parking lane once the NO STANDING zone began and the other car didn't. The other car's driver claimed that his turn was legal because I was turning from the parking lane and his was the rightmost travel lane. I won.

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(526752)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Terrapin Station on Fri Nov 20 15:42:28 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Spider-Pig on Fri Nov 20 15:31:39 2009.

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I meant in general, in which case the right-most lane is often a shared thru/right-turn lane. So you don't need to turn right. But you can.

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(526773)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Orange Blossom Special on Fri Nov 20 16:23:19 2009, in response to Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 00:24:54 2009.

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ahh, you're bottom pic explains it. It looks like the light got knocked off and is not swinging the wrong way.

Look closely at the google pic and see that light facing the opposing way.

I'm curious what the response time is that area to get that fixed.

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(526774)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by Orange Blossom Special on Fri Nov 20 16:25:38 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Spider-Pig on Fri Nov 20 15:31:03 2009.

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FALSE! They should be riding on the el and taking mass transit.

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(526806)

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Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me

Posted by BrooklynBus on Fri Nov 20 17:00:52 2009, in response to Re: Someone please explain these traffic lights to me, posted by Amanda on Fri Nov 20 11:24:31 2009.

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Okay now let's see how long it takes 311 to act. According to Bloomberg, 311 is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

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