General Road and Highway Discussion

[ijmorlan]

I would never have guessed that it was in question that the light at Seagram/Albert controls left turns off of Albert NB onto Seagram WB.  Is that a thing?

The weird part about that intersection for me is the "Pittsburg Lefts" that happen there from NB Albert folks, because the SB Albert Stop Bar is so far back (Why??????????).  Drives me batty.  I also don't turn right on red when on SB Albert to WB Seagram, because of that Stop Bar being so far back.  I just feel like it's wrong to creep so far forward on a red to make a right turn.

Agreed that refuges are awesome, and basically increase the odds of being able to cross by an order of magnitude!

I don’t think I’ve heard the term “Pittsburgh Left”. Is that turning left on a new green before oncoming straight-through traffic has a chance to get going?

As to the questions about which traffic is controlled by the pedestrian crossing, imagine for a moment that the crossing was moved back from the intersection, maybe 50m although it doesn’t matter exactly how far as long as it is far enough that it is clear that the pedestrian crossing is not related to the intersection at all. Then it would be absolutely clear that you can’t go through the red to make a right turn, and it would be equally clear that a left turn during the red signal would be perfectly legal, in the same way that it is legal to go when the stoplight at the next intersection is red — signals don’t control everyone who can see them, only people who are coming up close to them.

And if, on the other hand, the intersection itself was fully controlled, it would be clear, in the absence of signage to the contrary, that the right turn on red would be permitted and the left turn forbidden.

But instead we have what looks like an independent pedestrian crossing, but so close to the intersection that it seems that intersection signal rules might apply.