Flashing green

I just flew my Mooney up to Vancouver (this is somewhat aviation
related). When I got there I noticed that sometimes the traffic lights
were just green and other times they were flashing green. I asked many
locals what the difference was and none of them knew. Some thought it
was related to the crosswalks but I noted no cooreleation between an
intersection having a crosswalk or having someone pushing the walk
button and the flashing. Perhaps I'm just being a nerdy engineer but
I'm really curious if anyone in Canada knows what this means.

-Robert

Sometimes it means the light is getting ready to turn red.


"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
I just flew my Mooney up to Vancouver (this is somewhat aviation
related). When I got there I noticed that sometimes the traffic lights
were just green and other times they were flashing green. I asked many
locals what the difference was and none of them knew. Some thought it
was related to the crosswalks but I noted no cooreleation between an
intersection having a crosswalk or having someone pushing the walk
button and the flashing. Perhaps I'm just being a nerdy engineer but
I'm really curious if anyone in Canada knows what this means.

-Robert

If it was a flashing green arrow it just flashes to get your attention. If
it was a solid flashing green that is an advanced green meaning you can make
left turns and oposite trafic is still on a red light.

I am surprised none of the locals don't know what it means as that would be
one of the basic questions on a driving exam.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
I just flew my Mooney up to Vancouver (this is somewhat aviation
related). When I got there I noticed that sometimes the traffic lights
were just green and other times they were flashing green. I asked many
locals what the difference was and none of them knew. Some thought it
was related to the crosswalks but I noted no cooreleation between an
intersection having a crosswalk or having someone pushing the walk
button and the flashing. Perhaps I'm just being a nerdy engineer but
I'm really curious if anyone in Canada knows what this means.

-Robert

Flashing green means that the crossing traffic has a stop sign (or a
flashing red, which is the same) instead of a red light. You still have
right of way but you can expect cars coming out of the side streets
turning left or right.
At some intersections there are no lights at all for the crossing
traffic, just a stop sign. At others, most of the time the lights will
stay in this mode on the main street and would change to red only if
there's a real backup on the cross streets.

-Milen


Robert M. Gary wrote:
I just flew my Mooney up to Vancouver (this is somewhat aviation
related). When I got there I noticed that sometimes the traffic lights
were just green and other times they were flashing green. I asked many
locals what the difference was and none of them knew. Some thought it
was related to the crosswalks but I noted no cooreleation between an
intersection having a crosswalk or having someone pushing the walk
button and the flashing. Perhaps I'm just being a nerdy engineer but
I'm really curious if anyone in Canada knows what this means.

-Robert

"Milen Lazarov" wrote in message
...
Flashing green means that the crossing traffic has a stop sign (or a
flashing red, which is the same) instead of a red light. You still have
right of way but you can expect cars coming out of the side streets
turning left or right.

The average American driver could not figure that out. I was nearly hit
today by an 18-wheeler who ran a red light. I looked up at the driver and
he was laughing and jawjacking on his cellphone, operating the rig with one
hand.

-c

Milen Lazarov wrote in message ...
Flashing green means that the crossing traffic has a stop sign (or a
flashing red, which is the same) instead of a red light. You still have
right of way but you can expect cars coming out of the side streets
turning left or right.
At some intersections there are no lights at all for the crossing
traffic, just a stop sign. At others, most of the time the lights will
stay in this mode on the main street and would change to red only if
there's a real backup on the cross streets.

Ok, that makes sense. So you have a green to go (I figured that out
watching others) but the cross traffic does not have a solid red (i.e.
they may go if they think they can). Thanks!
-Robert

"BillC85" wrote in message ...
Sometimes it means the light is getting ready to turn red.

I thought that was what yellow was. They should provide a book on this
stuff before they rent you a car.

"BillC85" wrote in message ...
Sometimes it means the light is getting ready to turn red.

I thought that was what yellow was. They should provide a book on this
stuff before they rent you a car.

"Robert M. Gary" wrote in message
om...
Milen Lazarov wrote in message
...
Flashing green means that the crossing traffic has a stop sign (or a
flashing red, which is the same) instead of a red light. You still have
right of way but you can expect cars coming out of the side streets
turning left or right.
At some intersections there are no lights at all for the crossing
traffic, just a stop sign. At others, most of the time the lights will
stay in this mode on the main street and would change to red only if
there's a real backup on the cross streets.

Ok, that makes sense. So you have a green to go (I figured that out
watching others) but the cross traffic does not have a solid red (i.e.
they may go if they think they can). Thanks!
-Robert

Just be aware of the following:

Nearly everywhere in Canada, a flashing green means opposing traffic is on a
red and you have a free left turn (and, of course, a free straight through
like a normal green). This will be a fairly rapid flash, more that 1 flash
per second.

But some years ago I came across a distinctly SLOW flashing green, like 1
per second or slower, which was used in a manner identical to what we would
associate with a flashing YELLOW: "proceed with caution ...cross traffic
has a flashing red, but since opposing traffic has the flashing yellow (or
slow green) as well, and *you must yield on left turns to the opposing
traffic* as per normal".

I admit that this has been fifteen years ago or more and I hope the
slow-green practice has been discontinued and totally replaced with yellows.

"Milen Lazarov" wrote in message
...
Flashing green means that the crossing traffic has a stop sign (or a
flashing red, which is the same) instead of a red light. You still have
right of way but you can expect cars coming out of the side streets
turning left or right.
At some intersections there are no lights at all for the crossing
traffic, just a stop sign. At others, most of the time the lights will
stay in this mode on the main street and would change to red only if
there's a real backup on the cross streets.


Everybody in the world uses flashing yellow for this. Are you saying BC
still uses green???