High efficiency traffic lights don't melt snow cover, creating traffic hazard

Associated Press ^ | Friday December 11, 2009 | Associated Press

[jpl]

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)

[DouglasKC]

I thought civil engineers thought of things like this. Yeah, they'll save electricity, but how much are you paying all those work crews? And if they are on overtime, forget it!

They did think about it! More union jobs...every city now needs to hire additional union members to clear the snow out of the traffic lights.

[listenhillary]

Stupid, unenlightened, mouth breathing, joe-six pack, Walmart shoppers are soooo stupid! (Crash!)

(upside down dead superior progressive that got hit at the snow covered light)

“—”
.O.
x?x

[Star Traveler]

LOL.... my gawd! Do I have to tell those northerners how to do everything... :-)

Just put a little heater on it, and only have it switch on during precipitation and freezing weather...

I mean, could it be simpler? They won’t have a whole lot of days of the year where they’ll even have to have it on... :-)

[babygene]

The big advantage to LEDs is not so much the power but that they take less maintenance (changing bulbs). The problem with the ice could easily be solved with a thermostatically controlled heater.

[Richard Kimball]

My wife got T-Boned at an intersection last month because of that. Old tech bulbs. The sun was shining directly on the lights (late afternoon) and made all of them look like they were lit. Young girl blew through it and smacked her. No one injured in either vehicle (thank you Lord), but both cars totaled.

Like fire hydrants, traffic lights need to be designed to function in any weather (hydrants in areas that freeze automatically drain when closed.)

The lens heater is a good idea to melt snow. While the incandescents melt the snow anyway, in much of the country, like my part of Texas, that function is necessary maybe eight hours a year. The lower energy consumption is a BIG DEAL on things like traffic lights that are supposed to function 24/7/365.

[UCANSEE2]

Unfortunately, our roads are filled with idiots who barely have any clue about the rules of the road. They have no idea that flashing red equals “stop”, or that no signal equals “stop.”

Just as most people will insist that GREEN means GO NO MATTER WHAT.

[-YYZ-]

“BTW, is your screen name a reference to the Rush song?”

Yes, and also to the fact that I live relatively near to Toronto now.

[onemiddleamerican]

They did think about it! More union jobs...every city now needs to hire additional union members to clear the snow out of the traffic lights.

Sounds like a "shovel-ready project" to me. More jobs saved or created on TOTUS' watch.

[Wyatt's Torch]

Cool. I am a huge Rush fan (saw them probably 5 times in the 80’s) and love that song. The drum solo from Exit Stage Left is a classic. Also a big fan of Neal Peart’s books.

[Squantos]

Very good.....like the way you think Joe !

[Red Boots]

The big advantage to LEDs is not so much the power but that they take less maintenance (changing bulbs). The problem with the ice could easily be solved with a thermostatically controlled heater.

Of course it could be. What would that do to the supposed energy savings I wonder.

[ansel12]

The big advantage to LEDs is not so much the power but that they take less maintenance (changing bulbs). The problem with the ice could easily be solved with a thermostatically controlled heater.

"Of course it could be. What would that do to the supposed energy savings I wonder."

Saving electricity and labor costs on a permanent basis, yet having to equal the warmth of the old fashioned bulbs on snow days in a $400,000.00 outdoor fixture that is electric.

I think that modern science can handle the challenge and still save a fortune in electricity and labor costs.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

Surely if they have solar cells to make electricity, they have snowlar ones too?

Not yet, but I'm working on a break-through idea for a solar cell that works at night (hint: it uses "black light!").

Regards,
GtG

[Balding_Eagle]

Why is this an issue? The traffic regs say if the light is out, including if it cannot be understood, then you treat the light as a red light and stop. Anyone blowing through a controlled intersection is an idiot.

The traffic lights weren't out, they were just covered so that they couldn't be seen, and since I live in a snow area I know that those lights may not be blocked out on all sides. Some people may have had the green and could see the green, but those who had the red couldn't see the red.

[EdReform]

LOL!

[babygene]

“”Of course it could be. What would that do to the supposed energy savings I wonder.”

Saving electricity and labor costs on a permanent basis, yet having to equal the warmth of the old fashioned bulbs on snow days in a $400,000.00 outdoor fixture that is electric.

I think that modern science can handle the challenge and still save a fortune in electricity and labor costs.”

An electric heater would have almost no effect on efficiency since it would only come on when the temperature was below freezing and it would only have to keep it above 32 degrees.

[nj patriot]

This little lesson confirms the law of unintended consequences. On a much larger scale the same law will apply to “cap and go to China” and Obamacare. The unintended consequences will be disastrous.

[cdcdawg]

anyone else want to join me in predicting that the savings from the bulbs will never materialize? Whatever they “save” in electricity will be more than offset by higher costs in replacing them, problems like those cited in the article, etc... When do we reach the tipping point? Little by little, one “high efficiency traffic light” at a time, we are getting there.

[meyer]

They could have saved as much money, as well as the cost of the new lights, if they would eliminate about 75% of the traffic lights in the first place. There are way too many traffic lights in many areas. Take a drive up State Road in Parma, Ohio and on into Cleveland. You will stop an average of every 1000 feet.

[ansel12]

anyone else want to join me in predicting that the savings from the bulbs will never materialize?

No