mriguy t1_iqu58yo wrote on October 3, 2022 at 2:39 AM

Flashing green is Massachusetts only and pretty rare nowadays (there were a lot more of them when I was a kid).

It means caution, and that the light may go to red and yellow (another MA exclusive) if somebody presses a walk button. Red and yellow simultaneously means a pedestrian light. When I was taking drivers ed that meant you couldn’t drive across a crosswalk when red and yellow was on. No right on red (this predates that) and you stop even if you are in the middle of the intersection (so you don’t cross a crosswalk). I haven’t seen a red and yellow in a few years though, so maybe they don’t do them any more.

MASKcrusader1 t1_iqv2300 wrote on October 3, 2022 at 9:06 AM

This is the answer BUT they do not mention this variation in the MA driving guide book and MUTCD banned any flashing green lights a long time ago so I wonder if Salem just didn’t get the memo?

Ecstatic_Tiger_2534 t1_iqvd32z wrote on October 3, 2022 at 11:32 AM

I know of one in Stoneham, at a crosswalk by the Stone Zoo.

Stop_Drop_Scroll t1_iqw42xz wrote on October 3, 2022 at 3:10 PM

Also one in Beverly on Cabot St. it’s a walk light at a crosswalk.

TheSkiGeek t1_iqxrcjp wrote on October 3, 2022 at 9:32 PM

https://www.mass.gov/doc/chapter-4-rules-of-the-road-0/download does list a "pedestrian hybrid beacon (PHB)" with red and yellow lights:

>A Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) allows pedestrians to safely cross a roadway. A PHB only operates when activated by a pedestrian. When all lights are dark, you can proceed with caution. When the bottom yellow light is flashing, you must slow down. When the bottom yellow light is solid, you must prepare to stop. When the top two red lights are solid, you must stop for pedestrians. When the top two red lights are flashing, you must stop and proceed with caution if clear.

But "flashing green circle" is not listed. I don't remember ever hearing about those in Driver's Ed and I've never seen one.

The town where I live has pedestrian crossings with a button that turn on blinky yellow LED lights temporarily. Or ones that trigger a traffic light to turn red. Those seem to be the more modern version.

Edit:

http://archive.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/03/lines_lights_and_rule_breakers/?page=1 quotes a Cambridge PD officer (in 2008) saying flashing green is the same as solid green but intended to get people to slow down, typically used when the cross traffic has a flashing red.

I used to live somewhere where some lights would change to flashing yellow along the main street and flashing red on the side streets late at night. But still never seen a flashing green.

MASKcrusader1 t1_iqxtfwu wrote on October 3, 2022 at 9:47 PM

They have one of these in Hadley on Rt. 9. It confuses everyone all the time. Seems like the same purpose as this blinking green, just more up to code. I’d be curious what mass highway says about the blinky greens.

dmoisan t1_iqu9cgp wrote on October 3, 2022 at 3:13 AM

There is one light on Lafayette St. that is still red-yellow. I believe it to be the last one in Salem. Flashing green lights are often paired with flashing red lights in the opposing part of the intersection; flashing red is treated as a stop sign.

kdex86 t1_iqvk931 wrote on October 3, 2022 at 12:41 PM

I've seen a simultaneous red and yellow light in Malden. I think it only does that if someone presses the "walk" button on one of the lights to cross a crosswalk.