Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 22:33     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
I recall reading somewhere that if a signal hasn't changed after a certain amount of time, you can conclude that it's malfunctioning and treat it as a flashing red light (that is, proceed with caution.)
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 20:43     Subject: Re:Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
People who say it will always turn if you trip it are incorrect. Sometimes the lights need to be manually reset. In FX county, call (703) 691-2131 and report it to the non emergency police line. They will fix it.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 15:32     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Anonymous wrote:The light coming out of my neighborhood has a sensor that sometimes just. doesn't. work.

I pull up to the line. Wait. Back up 20 feet and drive back over the sensor. Wait some more. After a couple minutes I do a right on red, go up a block and make a u-turn. I've called 311 a couple times but nothing ever changes.

My neighbor drives the same car (old Honda Fit) and has the same problem. I heard (urban legend?) that some motorcyclists have a large magnet on the bottom of their bikes to help trigger lights. Maybe I need to do that.


That is not an urban legend, but won't help you. the reason that some motorcyclists use these (their efficacy is debatable) is that motorcycles do not have enough metal to trigger the induction circuit at the light. This is also the reason that motorcycles may turn left on red if there is no traffic and the light doesn't cycle in 2 minutes. Yes, that is a specific law in most states

If this is happening to you, pull up farther toward the line. You are not in the magnetic field and are not triggering the induction circuit.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:57     Subject: Re:Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
There's a light like this on my drive to work. When it's broken, it stays green for the offramp from Rt. 7 onto Fairfax County Parkway for several minutes. I'm not exagerating. All this while the light on the onramp onto Rt. 7 goes through several cycles.

If I notice this is the case, and the coast is clear, I just run it. I don't care anymore.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:52     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
The light coming out of my neighborhood has a sensor that sometimes just. doesn't. work.

I pull up to the line. Wait. Back up 20 feet and drive back over the sensor. Wait some more. After a couple minutes I do a right on red, go up a block and make a u-turn. I've called 311 a couple times but nothing ever changes.

My neighbor drives the same car (old Honda Fit) and has the same problem. I heard (urban legend?) that some motorcyclists have a large magnet on the bottom of their bikes to help trigger lights. Maybe I need to do that.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:41     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
There is one of those coming out of the WFC metro. Sometimes, it just doesn't get tripped. I wait for a while, for a car to pull up across the street, hoping that car will successfully trip the light to turn green. But then I just turn right.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:12     Subject: Re:Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Anonymous wrote:If this is for a left turn signal, you may not be far enough up to trigger the sensor that initiates the left turn signal sequence.

There are regular traffic lights that are like this too, not just left turn signals. There’s one right near my house. Move all the way up to the line.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:11     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Anonymous wrote:Turn right on red.


+1

This is the legal and safest way.

There's one in Alexandria that drives me crazy, corner of Braddock and Lincolnia, that doesn't turn green if the first car is over too far to the right. Sometimes they realize it quickly and turn right on red (and then turn into the church across the street to correct their direction) so the next car trips it, but sometimes we all sit there for 10 minutes while cars do u-turns in the middle of the street and traffic backs up almost to Columbia Pike.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:07     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Anonymous wrote:Turn right on red.


This is the right answer. It probably will turn green eventually but is just mistimed (programmed for rush hour traffic but it's 1am and there is no cross traffic). Turning right and then finding a place to make two lefts or do a legal u-turn will work without opening you up to potentially being pulled over or caught by a red light cam.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:05     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Anonymous wrote:Never? Impossible. It may take a long time but it turns green.


In the wee hours things get weird. I think maybe they would turn eventually but idk if some of them have sensors or what. But you can get stuck a long time for no reason.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:04     Subject: Re:Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
If this is for a left turn signal, you may not be far enough up to trigger the sensor that initiates the left turn signal sequence.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:04     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
If it’s the middle of the night and no one is there, I turn right and then pull an immediate U-ey.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:03     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Never? Impossible. It may take a long time but it turns green.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 14:02     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
Turn right on red.
Anonymous
Post 07/19/2024 13:25     Subject: Stop light that never turns green for you to go…
What do you do?