New Cameras at Red Lights - Newton/Waltham
lk2133
on top of red lights, presumably to automate enforcement? I've seen
them at the intersection of Comm and Washington in Newton, and on
Lexington Street in Waltham.
Garrett Wollman
Red-light cameras (which Massachusetts still doesn't allow AFAIK)
would not be located "on top of red lights" -- they are located at
intersection level, where they can get a clear photo of the violator's
license plate, and they have a flash to illuminate the offender at
night. The devices you're seeing are most likely for emergency
vehicle signal preeemption.
-GAWollman
--
Garrett A. Wollman | What intellectual phenomenon can be older, or more oft
wol...@bimajority.org| repeated, than the story of a large research program
Opinions not shared by| that impaled itself upon a false central assumption
my employers. | accepted by all practitioners? - S.J. Gould, 1993
Route2 driver
These most likely are cameras that detect vehicles to activate the
signals.They replace the maintenance intensive loop detectors that are
cut in the pavement.
Jimmy
I don't think they're traffic detectors to replace loop detectors, nor
emergency vehicle detectors. In this area, the latter take the form
of small tubes mounted on traffic light arms, and they just detect a
strobe light, so they don't need a full-sized camera.
I think they're traffic jam cameras. Google Maps' traffic layer has
data for a surprising number of local roads around here, and they have
to get that information from somewhere. Though maybe the data is
crowdsourced from people's smart phones.
I don't know how useful it is. Most city streets are colored red most
of the time, even in the middle of the night, and while they do move
slowly compared to a free-flowing highway, they really should be green
when there's no unusual delay.
Jimmy
John S
> lk2133<lebatt...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Has anyone noticed that there seem to be a lot of cameras popping up
>> on top of red lights, presumably to automate enforcement? I've seen
>> them at the intersection of Comm and Washington in Newton, and on
>> Lexington Street in Waltham.
>
> I don't think they're traffic detectors to replace loop detectors, nor
> emergency vehicle detectors. In this area, the latter take the form
> of small tubes mounted on traffic light arms, and they just detect a
> strobe light, so they don't need a full-sized camera.
>
> I think they're traffic jam cameras. Google Maps' traffic layer has
> data for a surprising number of local roads around here, and they have
> to get that information from somewhere. Though maybe the data is
> crowdsourced from people's smart phones.
Yes. And also through traffic.com's and smartraveler sensors, plus
whatever other data google can ahold of in various jurisdictions.
>
> I don't know how useful it is. Most city streets are colored red most
> of the time, even in the middle of the night, and while they do move
> slowly compared to a free-flowing highway, they really should be green
> when there's no unusual delay.
Areas with a lot of traffic lights and related queues seem to be red
often.
Route2 driver
Where on Lexington St are they? If they are the same as the ones at
the intersection of Route 20 and Route 60 Waltham(Main st and Linden
st.,easily seen on Google Street View) I am positive they are traffic
detectors to activate the traffic signals. They are being used
extensively on the Route 110 road project in Westford and have been
installed at Route 119 and 110 intersection in Littleton.After
searching on line the best description is at the Missouri DOT website.
Tony Matt
Jass
This is what a red light camera looks like