The lights have been blinking yellow for a decade or two. I could look out my window and yell it is not a stop for the people stopping for it. Today they made the light actually function and added cameras.
Picture taken out my window.
Not every camera is an ALPR. The ones mounted above the signal heads like that are for computer-vision-based vehicle detection for signal phasing and timing (i.e. as an alternative to an inductive loop). AFAIK they're only hooked to the traffic signal controller and don't really provide video to any external system, but even if they could, they're not pointed in the correct direction to be able to capture the sort of information an ALPR does. The cameras on top of the signal heads mostly just see the roofs of the cars, while ALPRs are mounted a lot closer to the ground so that they can image the fronts and backs of the cars and capture stuff like the license plate and the driver's face.
(Source: am a former traffic engineer.)
That sounds like an interesting job. I had a crazy idea that someone in your line of work should be a traffic reporter on local TV news, but also make comments about how to alleviate the traffic.
I actually had a job for a while where I was responsible for the Changeable Message Signs (CMSs) on the freeways. So not quite a traffic reporter, but responsible for giving traffic advice to drivers in real time. You're right, it was a reasonably interesting job.
That said, other than making people aware of multiple-lane-closure wrecks in time to take an alternate route, there isn't much "alleviating" that mere comments can do. The fundamental problem is that too many people are trying to use the roads at once because the system isn't designed to facilitate alternatives to driving. Having some engineer on the TV every day saying "lobby your politicians for more funding for bikes and transit" might be a good thing, but wouldn't exactly be "news."
Well I love that you've at least thought about it.
I dont get it. is there a flock camera
The truly sad part is you had to yell at people how to use a blinking yellow light. Isn't that taught in driving school and on the written test?
I think ALRP mass data collection of your persons by a private corporation is vastly more sad.
But as other responded these do not seem to be ALRP or Flock cameras
Yeah that's sad too.
I'm colourblind and can't tell a blinking yellow light apart from a blinking red light, so I woukd treat it as a red. This is only for those single light intersections. If there's three lights but set to blink (sometimes this happens in the middle of the night) I can look at the position once I'm close enough.
How do you handle normal traffic lights then?
Yellow and red mean almost the same thing, so it doesn't really matter. And with normal lights, yellow is always the middle, and red is very easy to tell apart from green. I would actually say green is closer to white and is the easiest to distinguish from the others.
It's the middle light
I dunno why but that van looks about half as large as it should, to me.
I think it's a honda element , it's like a baby van (nothing like a minivan).
I think you're right! I looked up pics of that model and it has the square bits around the wheel wells that you can just barely see in OP's pic. Thanks for the tip!
Glad I could help, best car I've ever driven, I'm sad they got discontinued.
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car’s location, date, and time. They also capture your car’s make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points. These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles—regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. While these systems can be useful for tracking stolen cars or wanted individuals, they are mostly used to track the movements of innocent people.
Learn more at deflock.me