CT & MA: red light cameras or ??

**nomore55** · 12-11-2010, 06:20 AM

A friend in the Hartford area sent me this photo:

is this a red light camera or some sort of traffic flow regulation device. I'm starting to see these at newer intersections near me in suburban Boston. Sometimes there are 6 or 8 of these installed at a single intersection

**krypton2** · 12-11-2010, 10:37 AM

Those look like traffic monitoring cameras for your state or local department of transportation. It allows them to see the flow of traffic, if there's any accidents or stand-still traffic or any other road issues. If it was a RLC it would have to be bigger, with a flash mechanism and the ability to take higher quality images, and RLCs are normally on the side of the road instead of directly on the traffic light pole.

There's probably one on each light (in the intersection) to ensure that every lane can be seen...I've noticed a lot of states are adding cameras to local, high-usage roadways whereas they were previously only used on highways. A lot of the cameras can't be monitored by the public though, as opposed to major highway cameras which you can usually view on your state's department of transportation website.

**Solidjake** · 12-11-2010, 10:46 AM

Traffic camera.

There are NO red light cameras or speed cameras in those states.

**CJR238** · 12-11-2010, 11:05 AM

Traffic camera, just don't kill anyone at a traffic light with one of those.

**nomore55** · 12-11-2010, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by krypton2

There's probably one on each light (in the intersection) to ensure that every lane can be seen...I've noticed a lot of states are adding cameras to local, high-usage roadways whereas they were previously only used on highways. A lot of the cameras can't be monitored by the public though, as opposed to major highway cameras which you can usually view on your state's department of transportation website.

Yeah, there are typically many at each intersection. They appear to be just looking at a single lane.

You're right about the size/config of these. I've seen RLCs when in Tucson...they don't look anything like this.

Thx.

**nomore55** · 12-11-2010, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by Solidjake

Traffic camera.

There are NO red light cameras or speed cameras in those states.

Thanks, that's been my impression, too. However, my friend came across the little tidbit:

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2010/rpt/2010-R-0073.htm

**pgb2** · 12-11-2010, 04:42 PM

If they are only aimed at a single lane, especially if you see them pointed at left turn lanes, the are most likely "sensors" for the red light system. More of these are being used these days instead of the inductive loop sensors embedded in the road surface because they are easier to install when a roadway already is in use. Camera resolution and image recognition software has reached the point where it is a cost effective alternative to cutting trenches on the road to lay the loop wire.

Interesting info here: http://www.wisedan.com/signals

**nomore55** · 12-12-2010, 07:54 AM

Interesting. I guess that makes sense, pgb.

(I'm wondering if this data could be fed back into the GPS traffic systems...there are several providers and I could see them using this level of info to provide alerts on back -ups, etc. on secondary roads ???)

**krypton2** · 12-12-2010, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by nomore55

Interesting. I guess that makes sense, pgb.

(I'm wondering if this data could be fed back into the GPS traffic systems...there are several providers and I could see them using this level of info to provide alerts on back -ups, etc. on secondary roads ???)

It usually is...traffic monitoring systems are using a ton of sources to find out backups on roadways anymore. GPS on cell phones, GPS navigation units, traffic cameras, traffic sensors, radar drones, human reports, etc.

Go on Google Maps and at the top right, click the button that says Traffic. Zoom into one of the traffic-enabled areas...there's one in Hartford CT if that's near you.

If you zoom in 3-4 times from the default zoom setting you see green and yellow and red lines everywhere...that tells you the speed of traffic. I know for Pittsburgh there's a ton of monitored roadways on Google Maps that are NOT monitored by PennDOT and our state traffic safety center - local highways and secondary roads. I researched about that one time and found out that if you have GPS enabled on your cell phone and navigation device, it periodically sends signals about your location and speed to the manufacturers, who then in turn sell it to companies that have contracts with them for traffic, like Google.