LANE-DEFINING LIGHTS TESTED AT TOLL PLAZA

AN EXPERIMENT IS REPORTED WHICH WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE NEW JERSEY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT IN GUIDANCE IN REVERSIBLE TRAFFIC LANES WITH FLUSH PAVEMENT LIGHTS. THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO THE ESSENTIAL PROPER SIGNING ON THE USE OF RED AND GREEN SIGNALS OVER THE LANES AT THE TOOL CANOPY, AND WAS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR THESE CONTROLS. THE CONVENTIONAL METHOD OF REVERSING LANES AT TOLL PLAZAS INVOLVES THE USE OF TRAFFIC CONES. IT WAS HOPED THAT THE USE OF PAVEMENT LIGHTS WOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED OF CONES, REFLECTORS, AND FLARES UNDER ALL CONDITIONS, AND THAT CHANGING LANE DIRECTIONS WOULD BECOME MERELY A MATTER OF SWITCHING LIGHTS ON AND OFF, CONVENIENTLY AND SAFELY. THE OBJECT OF THE TEST INSTALLATION WAS: (1) TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS METHOD OF REVERSIBLE-LANE TRAFFIC CONTROL, (2) TO EVALUATE THE SEVERAL MAKES AND TYPES OF PAVEMENT LIGHTS ON THE MARKET, AND (3) TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE MERITS OF YELLOW, AMBER AND RED LIGHTS, STEADY AND FLASHING LIGHTS, ALTERNATIVE SPACINGS BETWEEN LIGHTS AND HIGH AND LOW INTENSITIES FOR VARYING CONDITIONS OF OPERATION. THE TEST INSTALLATION CONSISTS OF THREE ROWS OF LIGHTS, EACH ROW OF A DIFFERENT MANUFACTURE, EXTENDING 700 FEET FROM THE SOUTH BULLNOSE OF THE PLAZA TO THE TOLL ISLANDS OF THE THREE CENTER LANES. EACH ROW DELINEATES A SEPARATE REVERSIBLE LANE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT: (1) THE USE OF PAVEMENT LIGHTS FOR DELINEATION OF DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC IS FEASIBLE, (2) AT LEAST ONE MAKE AND TYPE OF STANDARD PAVEMENT IS SUITABLE FOR THIS APPLICATION, (3) YELLOW IS THE PREFERRED COLOR, (4) STEADY-BURNING LIGHTS ARE PREFERRED OVER FLASHING UNITS, (5) THE NECESSITY FOR CLOSE SPACING HAS NOT BEEN FIRMLY ESTABLISHED, AND (6) IT IS NECESSARY AND DESIRABLE TO PROVIDE VARYING INTENSITIES FOR DIFFERENT CONDITIONS OF OPERATION AND LIGHT.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1606878
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 98, No 11, PP 84-85, 2 PHOT
• Authors:
  • Henschel, W
• Publication Date: 1967-11

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Public Works
  • Publisher: Hanley Wood
  • ISSN: 0033-3840
  • Serial URL: http://www.pwmag.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Color; Flashing; Lane use control signals; Light; Pavements; Reversible traffic lanes; Spacing; Switching; Testing; Traffic control; Yellow
• Uncontrolled Terms: Intensity; Traffic direction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00225180
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 20 1994 12:00AM