Traffic Signals

[r0npaul4prez]

Traffic lights = government tyranny. Only the market should decide who stays and goes at an intersection. Anything else = slavery. RON PAUL 2012!!

[gongringer]

Winnipeg, Manitoba still has Eagle Signal electro-mechanical relays for intersections in residential areas. You can view a YouTube video of this by entering:

Winnipeg Traffic Signals in the Search window. Vancouver, B.C. had this type of control until 1985. I once saw a police constable walk up to an old control box of non-functioning signals, give it a kick with his boot and immediately everything started working again!

[Breeze646]

I just came back from Montreal, and they still have these mechanical control boxes in Downtown. Almost every intersection I saw (or heard I guess) (except for one) had a mechanical box.

[AmyRoseCute]

Wow, that is so weird; the traffic lights in America have yellow casing.

[Cardgames4children]

is that Shooter Mcgavin?

[nokiaovi1]

Where is the macbook pro?

[zangazoo2007]

I've been a traffic signal collector since 1999 (I own one 8-8-8 signal and 3 12-12-12" signals from the 60s). My controllers are the older NEMA TS1 series, but nothing in my book beats that "curr-chunk" sound the electro-mechanical make, or even when the relays clicked that 60 bpm for late night flash mode. There was even a time when there was no all red clearance interval (meaning all lights are red for a predetermined time before someone gets a green light). VERY COOL VIDEO!!!

[Computist40]

one question, what happens if the power goes out? does it use it's battery then?

[Steven197981]

@Computist40 Normally, an electro-mechanical controller does not have battery backup. A computerized controller does, however, have battery backup.

[spideyweb10]

Is there anything that is more up to date? I'm doing a technical presentation on traffic signals. Or if you know where I can find information from credible sources that would be great.

Thanks!

[Billmenow1]

Thanks



[Steven197981]

Even though there are many advantages about computerized controllers, I prefer traditional controllers. The reason I say this is because I like controllers that are nice and simple. It is clearly obvious that computerized controllers are capable of performing numerous functions, which is amazing. Although, I still prefer traditional controllers. I guess you could say that I am slighly old fashioned. Anyhow, excellent video!

[videogamer24385]

6:25 that dude ran a red light

[Felamine]

I still see the old-style mechanical controls at some suburban/rural intersections that have lower traffic volumes. I suppose the traffic in these intersections is predictable enough that the newer computerized controls aren't needed.

[eddy75471]

Cool ! I seen a few around chicagos western suburbs

[hugos31]

led and pic microcontroller

[waterskippers]

This is interesting, even though I think it's obsolete.

[10156gamer]

what kind are your signals

[acmeschool]

@10156gamer ,

The video was done around 1990, with borrowed equipment. I think it was all GE.

[sam199166]

how can something preforming such simple task be so COMPLICATED? lol, its not exactly efficiant when they have to make millions of these traffic lights.

:S

[UnOxonien]

@sam199166 So you think traffic control is simple? Oookay.

[bootyknocker2010]

traffic lights are so retarded. why do they turn red in the middle of the night for no reason whatsoever?

[fatzGeronimo]

I see them all the time before they swiched it to leds

[domyaska]

excellent ..!! thanks a lot for sharing !!

[181Cade]

6:21 . he crosses a red light!!!!

[181Cade]

i wanna know where you got one of them?? #LOL

[Jefefro123]

this guy needs to get laid

[TOBTransPlanInc]

Good work. Im very sure some intersections in Toronto still use those controllers

[deloreanman14]

New York City still uses mechanical controllers and the synchronization is better than 99.9% of the computerized controllers I've seen. Plus there is something magical about that 'ka-chunk' sound.

[mikeyo1990]

great video

[vigilante11485]

What? Here in Pennsylvania I see burned out traffic lights all the time: D

[acmeschool]

That comment was made in 1990! Now, twenty years later, we see burned out signals in Toronto as well, along with more potholes...

[ballm0use]

@acmeschool look at the computers dumping paper into garbage containers. anyway, I wish these traffic lights did red, red/yellow, green, yellow as seen in europe. gives drivers a little warning that the light is aboot to change to green. no more flooring it at intersections when it suddenly changes

[heathirving]

@vigilante11485

amazing what a bullet does eh?

[vigilante11485]

@heathirving Fucking A! 

[SignalKid]

Awesome video...mechanicals are neat but my knowledge is in the computerized systems.

But...

I want to see the blooper reel to this video! I'm sure there's quite a bit of "electrical pokes" pulling the cycle unit and cam drum out of the cabinet while it's live.

-Nick

[acmeschool]

Hi Nick,

I didn't get any shocks or burns or cuts for the entire 26 Acme half hours! I see that I was running this thing on 120 volts (it has the correct bulbs), but it would have been totally isolated power via an isolation transformer.

I made a lot of use of the RV 12 bulb that looks like a regular one, so that I could run open-wiring circuits at safe voltages.

I ripped a lot of clothing, however....

[SignalKid]

Well thats good! Glad you played it safe. I didn't realize there was an isolation transformer. I'm not as "in-tune" with the old mechanical controllers. Cool video nonetheless!

[Rymac91]

Even now in 2010, you'll find old mechanical boxes in certain places in the united states. My first school still uses them for the school speed limit sign and in the winter, they would freeze and stop flashing.

[jimday666]

whoo, when was this?

[feedmepaper]

Excellent video. Thanks for posting.

[WeLoveYouHulk]

Awesome!

[FenuGeek]

Knowledge is power, kids!

[janderson714]

00:27 . . . that's what she said.

[xsoylentx]

@janderson714

She said "they're this big"? Meh......

[antidiz]

1950s shit. But it worked.

[form109]

those Signals looked Pretty Light....are they Polycarbonate?...Nice Mechanical Controller!

[acmeschool]

That video is from around 1990... I can't really remember. They were a nice new pair that I borrowed from the contractor who takes care of the signals here in Toronto.

[Edricofifrit]

I was about to say that this is really old tech. Most of the stuff in my town has digital units in the box, at the busier intersections. The old intersections still go click like usual though.

[jackiechan511]

I wonder if these traffic lights use timer/random cycles or do they use sensors to detect vehicular traffic

[acmeschool]

In Toronto, almost every signal has metal-detector loops under the street, and is in communication with a central computer. The intersections all have pedestrian pushbuttons as well, in case someone wants to cross when there is no traffic sitting on the detectors.

[Andrewsaxamophone]

What's the deal with the traffic signal at 6:24? Why did it switch from a solid green to two turn signals?

[acmeschool]

I don't see what you're seeing, but I never noticed that car going through the red light before! At the time, that was one of Toronto's most complex intersections, with the two cross streets being offset by a hundred feet or so.

[Andrewsaxamophone]

What I meant is, the second from the left signal changes from green to yellow to red but then the two bottom lights turn on. They look like polarized lights. Why did the signal perform that function?

[acmeschool]

OK, I see it now. I had to go to full-screen and squint. That is unusual, but if you type "mount pleasant and lawrence ave toronto" into google maps, the google-arrow points to about where the signals are. Notice that the main through-street has a major s-curve in it, and that there's a side street also right at the intersection. Then get out some toy cars, and draw the intersection, and explain it to me!

The "b-roll" crew chose that intersection because it was so interesting.

[simon726]

In the past, traffic lights and pedestrian signals have incandescent bulbs which may over time, burn out completely. Thesedays, they are being replaced with LEDs (Light emitting diodes).

Pedestrian signals even have timers thesedays.

[wisecrac99]

Nice to see this video preserved for all to see. Thanks for posting this! 5* vote.

[wainthrop]

american signals and controllers r way dated i am a traffic signals engineer in england and we have nothing like this

[acmeschool]

Hi Wainthrop,

This video is from about 1991, and the mechanical boxes were dissappearing from the streets even back then.

[littleoaf]

How common are these mechanical controllers now in the US? What percentage of the traffic control devices population would they now represent(rough guesstimate)?

[acmeschool]

I don't know about the US, but here in Toronto, the mechanical ones are all gone. The video is from about 1991.

[littleoaf]

Thanks for the reply. (I was aware of the date of the video ;))

[signaltraffic]

Great vid and very nicely explained.

[aeolus925]

You, sir, are awesome. Very well-done video. I've always loved being at certain intersections in Chicago, waiting for the WALK light and hearing the "tick-tick-tick" and "clunk" from the relay box.

[dlc54]

Interesting, thanks!!!

[SignalKid]

Sweet video. I'm also interested in traffic signals. I have a collection of several of them in all different sizes and types plus they run on the computerized controller. Check out my vids to see