Damn you Colorado Springs!!!

[CaneZach]

I don't know if this happens to anyone else, but I swear the Traffic Engineers in Colorado Springs have somehow timed the lights to cycle perfectly in order to prevent traffic from getting anywhere in this town! It seems like you will stop at a red light, wait a minute for it to turn green, then proceed. If you proceed at the speed limit, you are almost guaranteed to either stop at the next light or, more than likely, make it through the first and stop at the next.

You'll notice they accomplish their goal of absolute gridlock many ways. First and foremost, they do so by timing the lights so that they are so far out of whack that it is physically impossible for you to catch one if you have been stopped at the previous intersection. Then, they'll throw in a random, "phantom" light change. You've all seen these. On some random side street that hasn't had a car pull up to the intersection in the last 8 hours, the light suddenly cycles to allow... well, NOBODY... to turn.

Got one person who needs to turn from Crappy Sidestreet A onto Major Thoroughfare B? Well, let's make the 412 cars on Major Thoroughfare B come to a complete stop in order to accommodate the needs of ONE person. Sure, it makes about as much sense as Granny Smith driving from the Springs to Denver at 49 MPH in the left lane, but if that lack of common sense didn't stop her, why should it stop the good folks controlling the lights in Colorado Springs? Lastly, they aim the traffic control sensor to cover cars that are turning right as well so that a car turning right triggers a light cycle. By the time the light cycles to green, the guy (and you know there's only ONE person there) who was turning right has not only completed his turn, but he's stopped at the next red light, joining you in the same 4th level of hell in Dante's Inferno. Don't worry though. In a block, you guys will be stopped again!

[Brat]

ahhh hahahhaha. i concur. its a bitch this traffic, well the roads that make the traffic. hell they just finished I25 and its still a bitch in the afternoon...

[PharmerKyle]

Werd!

Takes 11 minutes for me to drive or ride to work. Only takes 15 to take a mountain bike.

I used to think the Phantom Lights were a result of the Crosswalk Pandas. I figure it's really just bored traffic cam operators that like to screw with sportbikes.

[Brat]

no its the jedi squirrells.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t219/Bratmantlz/jedisquirrels.jpg
regarless, its a pain. took me 40 min to get to the barnes and nobles on n acad today in my kia. light to light.... thankfully i had air. so that made it tolerable..... lol

[Tipys]

Ya isn't traffic fun. I told clients you can complete the test at lights in town unless you some how get lucky and make all the lights.

I have had a few times when work would normally take 15-20min then others where I was lucky and made every light and make it in 7min. And you know you always will catch every light if your in a rush.

[Drift]

Here is my question...if the lights are timed for say, 35MPH...than I can also make the light if I'm doing 70MPH, right?

[Brat]

why would you need to go that fast? lol drift.

[Tipys]

why would you need to go that fast? lol drift.


Cause his bike can only go that fast up hill?

[CaneZach]

Here is my question...if the lights are timed for say, 35MPH...than I can also make the light if I'm doing 70MPH, right?

You'd think so, but no.

The problem is that the lights seem to be timed for some random traffic flow, like 17.34781278956 MPH under the actual speed limit. If the road is zoned for 45 and the distance between lights is 0.25 miles, you can accelerate from a stop to 45 MPH in around 200' and take 1.94 seconds, then it'll take you 16 seconds to travel the other 1100 or so feet to the next intersection. Overall, it takes you right around 18 seconds to go from stop light to stop light in this scenario. Ideally, the traffic guys would have set the light to cycle in your direction, assuming you're on the main travel way, at 15 seconds or so, so that way traffic on the main road is as unencumbered as possible. Instead, they set it for 5 seconds after the first light turns green, give the light a 15-second life, and they give it a 3-second yellow. All that does is practically force drivers to speed and/or run the red light if they don't want to stop at the red lights every other block.

My "favorite" ::rolleyes: light is one Union and Downhill. It sits between Dublin and Montebello on Union and it's notorious for changing for absolutely no reason. To make matters worse, I think I've only seen a handful of cars turn left.

Also, the driver's in this fucking city are too stupid to begin with, so they only add to the problem. Hey, douchebag, I'm looking at you, Mister "I know the right lane on Woodmen ends just east of I-25, but I'm going to haul ass right up until it does, then cut someone else off... even though I'm still going to get stuck at the red light at Academy with everyone else I thought I would get ahead of"!!! Same shit happened with the idiots during construction on I-25 at Corporate Center. They had the left lane blocked for what seemed like the last 6 years, but people would act like they had no clue? Wow, you really got ahead of everyone, didn't you, tool? In the meantime, you got 5-car lengths ahead of where you normally would've been, but by causing everyone behind you to brake, you've just caused the biggest God-damn ripple effect of brake lights the world has ever seen and that shit'll stretch back to Garden of the Gods! Combine those morons with the idiots that don't pay attention to when the light turns green and don't accelerate for a full 5-seconds after the green has come one and the morons who will hog the left lane because they think it's their personal highway and it's a huge recipe for disaster!

[BullHonda]

Its even worse on base there are a few lights i cant trigger at all. I'll be there sometimes 10 minutes till car comes. There will be times when i am approaching a light and it will go red to green to red before i can get there im only going 4 blocks from the last light. So im sitting their at the light when there are no cars at the light in the perpendiuclar direction, and by time the light turns green for me their are a few cagers waiting to go the other way. To me it's just plain retarded it shouldnt take 20 minutes to go 3 miles. i can run it faster than i can drive it.

[Tipys]

You'd think so, but no.

The problem is that the lights seem to be timed for some random traffic flow, like 17.34781278956 MPH under the actual speed limit. If the road is zoned for 45 and the distance between lights is 0.25 miles, you can accelerate from a stop to 45 MPH in around 200' and take 1.94 seconds, then it'll take you 16 seconds to travel the other 1100 or so feet to the next intersection. Overall, it takes you right around 18 seconds to go from stop light to stop light in this scenario. Ideally, the traffic guys would have set the light to cycle in your direction, assuming you're on the main travel way, at 15 seconds or so, so that way traffic on the main road is as unencumbered as possible. Instead, they set it for 5 seconds after the first light turns green, give the light a 15-second life, and they give it a 3-second yellow. All that does is practically force drivers to speed and/or run the red light if they don't want to stop at the red lights every other block.

My "favorite" ::rolleyes: light is one Union and Downhill. It sits between Dublin and Montebello on Union and it's notorious for changing for absolutely no reason. To make matters worse, I think I've only seen a handful of cars turn left.


Some has to much free time or is this just a fall out from the day job?

[Brat]

You'd think so, but no.

The problem is that the lights seem to be timed for some random traffic flow, like 17.34781278956 MPH under the actual speed limit. If the road is zoned for 45 and the distance between lights is 0.25 miles, you can accelerate from a stop to 45 MPH in around 200' and take 1.94 seconds, then it'll take you 16 seconds to travel the other 1100 or so feet to the next intersection. Overall, it takes you right around 18 seconds to go from stop light to stop light in this scenario. Ideally, the traffic guys would have set the light to cycle in your direction, assuming you're on the main travel way, at 15 seconds or so, so that way traffic on the main road is as unencumbered as possible. Instead, they set it for 5 seconds after the first light turns green, give the light a 15-second life, and they give it a 3-second yellow. All that does is practically force drivers to speed and/or run the red light if they don't want to stop at the red lights every other block.


holyshiznit are you a mathmatician.....? lol.

[thatmofo]

I hate the lights here too. Try driving eastbound on Constitution and get stopped at the light at Powers after 10 PM. You can get out of your car and walk a lap around the intersection before the light will change.

[Brat]

I hate the lights here too. Try driving eastbound on Constitution and get stopped at the light at Powers after 10 PM. You can get out of your car and walk a lap around the intersection before the light will change.
man you are sooo right! theres one here in widefield were you can check your oil, windsheild washer fluid and tire pressure and still be waiting.... :banghead:

[Drift]

man you are sooo right! theres one here in widefield were you can check your oil, windsheild washer fluid and tire pressure and still be waiting.... :banghead:

See...they are just looking out for us by making sure our vehicles are mechanically sound and safe to be driven on the roads! :banghead::banghead:

[Brat]

:D lol

[modette99]

..

[MetaLord 9]

I used to think the Phantom Lights were a result of the Crosswalk Pandas.


no its the jedi squirrells.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t219/Bratmantlz/jedisquirrels.jpg

I stopped reading this thread after these posts as it had already gained terminal awesomeness & could grow no better. Carry on. :D

[Snowman]

Being an engineer of the civil persuasion, I can tell you that the timing of lights to the flow of traffic can be done, however at great expense in both their creation and maintenance.

So basically the reason your traffic control systems are flawed comes down to the fact your city administrators are cheap bastards.

[Drift]

...fact: your city administrators are cheap bastards.

That I can believe!

[JohnEffinK]

There are a few lights that are poorly placed that I frequent.

I will state publicly in an open forum, with local law enforcement as members, that I stop, wait until there is no traffic, and blantanly run them. Even more so on the bike as it does not seem to trip the sensor....

Let the anarchy grow.

John

[d3spair]

CaneZach, I agree 100% with everything you said. I'm to the point where I just run those stupid empty red lights on my bike.

[Brat]

i have to do it...... squids. :D i m officially fired now..

[RAGrote]

All this energy spent on stop lights.
I'm exhausted.

Here's a tidbit that warrants repeating.

Stoplights timed for 45mph are also timed for 90mph...

When somebody gets the chance could you check this out. Maybe tonight/tomorrow when y'all are running up and down Academy.
Please post your results of the experiment! ;)

[CaneZach]

All this energy spent on stop lights.
I'm exhausted.

Here's a tidbit that warrants repeating.

Stoplights timed for 45mph are also timed for 90mph...

When somebody gets the chance could you check this out. Maybe tonight/tomorrow when y'all are running up and down Academy.
Please post your results of the experiment! ;)

The problem is that even if the lights are timed at 45 MPH, the speed limit for the road doesn't match! So, assuming the lights are timed at 45, you'll see the speed limit is 50 or 55, which ultimately guarantees that you're going to get to the light before it's had the time to cycle or as it's nearing the end of its cycle, but rarely will it start to cycle as you approach, which allows for an uninterrupted flow of traffic.

Also, common sense would tell you that a light timed for 45 MPH will allow you travel at any increment of 45 (90, 135, etc), but that's not how it works because you need to factor in time for the lights to cycle for opposing traffic as well. Using 45 MPH, you're traveling at 65.97 FPS (131.94 FPS at 90 MPH), so it takes you 20.00 seconds to cover 1320' (1/4 mile) and 10.00 to cover it at 90. Now, let's assume you leave traffic light #1 at exactly 1300 and traffic light #2 is one-quarter mile away. It will take you 20 seconds to go 1/4 mile at 45 and 10 at 90 MPH. If the lights are timed to change to accommodate traffic flow at 45 MPH, they'll cycle at 1300 and let's say 18 seconds so you're still about 131.94' away from the light when it cycles to green so that way you're not even applying your brakes. But if you were at 90 MPH, you would've gotten there at 1300 and 10 seconds while the light was still red allowing cross traffic to clear. The greater the distance between intersections/traffic signals and eventually you'll catch the cycles at the right time, but there's a "sweet spot" of time versus distance that needs to be found in order for it to work.