For some reason unknown to me, Saint John has been on a rampage putting up putting up new traffic lights over the last year or so. I can't even begin to explain how annoying it is and how inefficient it is traffic wise. Not only are they putting traffic lights in the most ridiculous locations, they are also putting them so close to one another it's not even funny. You'll get through one red light and then have to stop at another 100 yards down the road. I've never seen anything like it. It's been on the radio a number of times and I've even seen it in the local newspaper that residents have been complaining about it. Saint John might be the biggest city in NB, but it's still less than 100k people. I wish we would use roundabouts here in NA like they do in Europe. Now there is an efficient way to keep the traffic going.

 

I know the feeling Shane. A new retail area just opened near my house and with it the city added 4 new traffic lights before I get to the only entrance to my community. They're so close together that I can barely get up to the 50km/h speed limit before I have to start braking.

 

Sounds pretty bad Shane...

A few years ago they decided to go crazy with 4 way stops in our little town.
After many complaints falling on deaf ears;
The locals took care of them all one night... buzzed them off with a chop saw.
...they never came back

 

Bad enough that they're there, Shane, but it sure sounds like they're not too well sycronized either...

LOL, Ian...A 'stop sign posse! That's a good one....

C./

 

you forgot "end rant"

 

Can't be worse than improperly synchronizing traffic lights.... There's a certain light I know of, I'm on the left over the advance green sensor. But guess what, light's still red the OPPOSITE side with NO cars gets advance green.... now that gets on my nerve...

 

Now that's a good one. I wouldn't want to upset anyone in your town!

 

Shame. I guess it's someone's idea of progress and safety. Like Colin said it doesn't sound like they're well synchronized which may come in time. We only have one remaining roundabout and it's usage/replacement is being seriously considered right now.

 

i've had some headaches on my bike with some traffic lights, where they don't change until the sensor below u picks u up.

i'd be sitting there dumbfounded for minutes as to why it isn't changing. i usually find myself with 2 options.. risk running the red... or get off the bike and run to the nearest walk button .. looking like a silly lego man with the big helmet head.

...and my vote for worst timed lights in the gta goes to the area around hurontario/burnhamthorpe (across square one). geez.. what is up with those lights? it can literally take up to 15 minutes to get passed those 3 silly traffic lights sometimes running hurontario.

 

Maybe he's not finished ranting?

We have two sets of traffic lights on 58th ave SW that are literally three car lengths apart. Just the way the streets come together, but it does look a little ridiculous. We also have a roundabout in our community; that was certainly a circus for the first couple of years as people had NO idea how to drive one. You still get the odd CFA (thanks Deane!) that has no clue and drives all the way around the oustide or can't decide so straddles the centre line, but in general it works pretty well. Except in rush hour when there are LOTS of cars entering from one direction and it's a proper b1tch to get into the circle, sometimes you wait as long as or longer than a light.

 

LOL, you're welcome Wayne.


It's a popular expression around here if you're from out of the region.

 

Deane, I have no idea if it's about safety or not. Not only are they synchronized extremely poorly, but the fact that they are placing these lights in the most ludicrous places is what is baffling. It's bizarre to say the least, and yet very annoying. We could learn a thing or two from Europe IMO.

On a side note, I loved the way Portugal keeps speeds under the limit going through towns. They would have a few sets of traffic lights going through the main road of a town and if you were over the speed limit, it would turn red. If you were under the speed limit they always stayed green. They also had a digital sign that posted what your speed was. I thought it was a pretty good idea.

 

Maybe someone new got hired in the traffic engineering dept. or the city councilors got a wacky new idea.

Yes, that does sound like a novel approach in Portugal.

 

They actually just got this fixed in Winnipeg; they sychronized all the redlights/greenlights on the major streets in the city. Seems to work better now; but downtown is still kind of messed up.

Kind of offtopic but could I possibly ask the new Travelling Admin how I can go about obtaining G35Driver stickers for my car.