Stamford traffic lights on timers with no sensors are infuriating!!

Submitted by ruthless_apricot t3_y3ujc2 in StamfordCT

So I just moved over to Stamford from England and, don't get me wrong, I love this place and I'm never going back to England. America is better is 99.9% of ways but ONE thing we had in England which I really miss having here are traffic lights with sensors!

I totally get the lack of lights with sensors is not just a Stamford problem, but the number of times you sit at a traffic light for an age waiting for NOBODY is completely maddening. I have a personal vendetta against the traffic lights on Long Ridge Road where you'll get stuck waiting for a light at the entrance to an office park at 11pm where nobody is working there and nobody is waiting at the light!

In England the vast majority of lights have sensors and will prioritize waiting cars. If there isn't a car waiting at a light, the light will never turn green for them. I get that big intersections need timers for most of the day (like the crossing of Atlantic and Tresser Blvd) but at night when there aren't pedestrians around they should really be sensing traffic flow to stop people from losing their mind.

What do you think?

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Comments

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mellamandiablo t1_isaqfkr wrote

Long Ridge and High Ridge Road are notorious for turning into racing strips so yes, it’s necessary

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colin8651 t1_isaf5un wrote

I think they limit the need for traffic speed enforcement with the implementation of ensuring you stop at each light in downtown areas

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bluejams t1_isbone3 wrote

Bingo. There are a number of lights on long ridge and high ridge for side streets that are on censors but a couple that will always run. The light on long ridge at the Yale Health center/Terrace Ave is on a timer...it's the last one before the big downhill into the bullhead intersection. It makes sense that they use this one for speed control.

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greb88 t1_isapxgr wrote

Fellow brit here. I hate 4 way stop signs

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wefked t1_isbgl9z wrote

Wait until you find the 5 way stop with the school crossing guard!

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[deleted] t1_isal45b wrote

Honestly it might have a lot to do with how we treat road and traffic infrastructure in the States. This would be a nice way to speed up travel times but I dont think the town of Stamford is gonna be keen on investing the time and resources into this.

The thing I miss the most from the UK (Wales) is the cider. Haven't been able to find a Somerset level pint in years. That and Haribo and Cadburys are cack in the US

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schiddy t1_isaszdo wrote

What kind of cider? A dry one or sweet one? Have you tried downeast or citizens?

https://www.citizencider.com/

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[deleted] t1_isaubib wrote

Yep! Tried both and they're decent! I'm a big fan of a dry still cider. The US is just a little bit behind the UK on cider right now. I'm sure in a few years as popularity increases, so will the quality of the cider. Definitely had some nice local made ciders but again, not quite on the level of the big names in the UK

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schiddy t1_isax3ud wrote

Love cider and have brewed my own dry cider before. Now I'm wondering what I have been missing!

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jay5627 t1_isdjw5t wrote

They've been saying it'll catch up for years now

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Athrynne t1_isavfnp wrote

I hate it as a pedestrian, the light at Pacific and Henry near my building is seemingly on a timer, and the pedestrian beg button doesn't do anything.

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bluejams t1_isbp5sz wrote

Most of the Ped buttons in Stamford just delay turning arrows. If no one is coming you can Jay walk and if someone is driving, obviously they prioritize keeping car traffic moving more than pedestrian traffic.

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Athrynne t1_isbpj5b wrote

It's harder to cross against the light at this intersection because cars will park cost the the crosswalk, blocking sight lines. And people speed on Pacific.

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TheGreyMarshmallow t1_isbutrj wrote

I mean I’ve been living in that area for a long time and I mainly just break the law all the time so my suggestion would be stop being a goody two shoes and just do whatever you want to

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Athrynne t1_isbv36i wrote

No need to be so hostile - I do cross when it's clear, but sometimes cars are parked in such a way that makes seeing whether anyone's coming difficult. And I'd rather not get killed by someone speeding down Pacific, which happens all the time.

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TheGreyMarshmallow t1_isbvtzh wrote

I mean you interpreted my tonality as hostile when it’s neutral at worst. Solely because someone’s vernacular isn’t overtly positive does not indicate they are attempting to communicate in a malevolent manner

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HotPast68 t1_isbh0b9 wrote

A lot of the lights on long ridge use induction loops and will stay green until they are triggered. By a side road turning onto long ridge. The issue is they will trigger for a single car and last a minimum amount of time. So in a way it’s a combination of both sensors and timers, which isn’t necessarily always ideal b

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