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Fake 48d

~~ i signals

By VIC HODSON i

Have you noticed that at

most of the traffic intersec- °

tions in the District of North
Vancouver the lights flick to
**GO”’ within a few seconds
of your pulling up to the stop

line? If not, you’d better, get

aittle better acquainted with ©
the most advanced traffic

signal lights on the North

Shore:

The secret lies in the fact
that of the total of 17 traffic
lights presently in action in
the District, ten are vehicle-
actuated. That nieans that if
you are in the appropriate
lane, a system buried under

‘the blacktop ‘*advises”* the

traffic lights that you wish to

get as green’ signal to
proceed. .

The first of these vehicle-
actuated signals was intro-
duced at the intersection of
Keith and Mountain High-
way in February, 1973 -- and
this is one of the two shared
with the City of North

Vancouver. It is valid from all

approaches, except where a

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driver intends to make a
right turn.

Right turns are never
vehicle-actuated because a
driver is required, by law, to
rome to a full stop if the light
is red, but may proceed to
the right if it is safe to.do so.
‘However, the ‘‘throiigh’’
driver, or the left turn vehicle

. will find that the lights _

change to-::green within’
approximately 25 seconds --
if the vehicle is properly
positioned.

You may have noticed
(though maybe you haven’t)
that there is a rectangle of
blacktop embedded in the
road surface in through and
left turn lanes very close to
the broad white line at which

_ drivers stop to await their

signal to proceed. Beneath
this defined rectangle there
are wires ‘which lead to the
solid-state controls mounted
upon the. traffic signal
supports and these -- by
electrical induction — convey
the message that a vehicle is
above them ready for the
**GQ”’ signal.

athe

__——

less

Don’t ask how it works,
just make sure that you are in
the proper lane as indicated

“by the arrows painted on the

blacktop and the lights will.

soon respond in your favor.

In most cases, this type of
vehicle-actuated: traffic light
is installed to assist drivers
on minor or residential roads

to break through the heavier.

traffic on. major roads -
particularly at peak traffic

periods -- and especially to
facilitate left turns. -

. Norman Nikkel, supervisor

of traffic operations for the

District of North Vancouver,
says that: since February,
1973, all new traffic signals
except one have been of the
vehicle- and/or’ pedestrian-
actuated type.

Nikkel adds that this form |

of transistorized signal has
been very efficient, has
reduced delays to drivers and
has minimized interruption
of traffic on main roads. He
_also maintains that intersec-
tions serviced by vehicle-

actuated traffic signals have

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‘TELLTALE RECTANGULAR PATCH in roadway around the left-tarn arrow
dicates that these traffic signals at Lonsdale and 29th in North Vancouver are yehicle-
activated -- as are all other traffic signals now in North Van District. .

When it was suggested to
him that many drivers would
not notice the rectangular
blacktop ‘‘activator’’ (which
may: look just like a_ road
patch), Nikkel said that this
was realized and that more

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definitive marking, such as:
colored outline, was unde
consideration. This would ai
‘drivers in the proper posi
tioning of their vehicles to®
achieve the desired result.” <=
CONTINUED ON PAGE 23. -

” Re ‘ath
ie a

738-7144