This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Committee on the Environment and Regional and Urban Design Committee .
The impulse for this article came when I was sitting at a red light one mile outside Winchester VA last Sunday morning at 6am. The location was one of those typical exurban sprawl strips where each shopping center has a light, all operating 24/7, no matter what. I was behind six other cars and the light didn't change although no crossing vehicles where in sight anywhere. It was after another minute or so when it was clear that the signal malfunctioned when I decided to use the empty left turn lane to go straight through the red light. Disobeying the automated red tyrant was instilling fear and a sense of liberation at once. There must be better, more flexible ways to control traffic, I thought.
The traffic light, stop light or "signal" was invented nearly 150 years ago in London based on railroad signal arms and the three colors red, amber and green. It was gas powered and apparently killed the operating police men when it exploded one day. This is why it took 44 more years before Salt Lake City tried to automate the traffic control warden again, as a two-light electric signal. Eventually Detroit installed in 1920 the first four sided three color electrical traffic control device. (
History).
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| Historic four sided tri-color signal (Creative commons) |
Since then little has changed except that we now have millions of them, maybe over 50 million signal heads just in the United States. That would be one signal for every 5 Americans! It is estimated that everyone of us spends about six months of our life waiting for a light to change! The estimated value of these "assets" is $82.7 billion. (
2012 National Traffic Signal Report Card).
Maybe it is time to rethink the alternating right of way assignment controlled by the colors red and green?
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
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